Yovan homers, picks up win to open series

Friday, May 11

Eugene, Ore.

6:00 PM

University of Oregon

23-24, 9-13

Utah

13-33, 6-16

Utah

Oregon

Photo by: Deborah Mundorff

05/11/18 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score: Oregon 6, Utah 2

EUGENE, Ore. – Kenyon Yovan homered while allowing just two runs in seven innings of a 6-2 Oregon win at PK Park on Friday night in Pac-12 Conference action.

How it Happened: Yovan (5-3) battled through some uncharacteristic wildness to pick up the win. The Ducks' starter walked six Utes while allowing one hitter to reach on a hit-by-pitch. He was able to strand all but two of the 13 batters that reached base before giving way to reliever Parker Kelly after a leadoff walk in the eighth inning.

Utah (13-33, 6-16 Pac-12) drew first blood in the top of the third against Yovan. Oliver Dunn drove in DaShawn Keirsey, who reached when he was hit by a pitch, with a no-out triple for a 1-0 lead.

Yovan made sure Oregon wasn't behind for long hitting a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth to give the Ducks (23-24, 9-13 Pac-12) the lead. Oregon added another run in the inning to push the lead to two runs. Ray Soderman scored on a Jakob Goldfarb bases loaded walk after getting hit by a pitch in the head, moving to second on a Taylor Travess infield single and to third on a Ryne Nelson walk.

Oregon pushed the lead to 4-1 with a run in the sixth inning. Nelson reached first on a bunt single and moved to second on a throwing error by catcher Shea Kramer. Nelson advanced to third on a Goldfarb single and scored on a Kyle Kasser squeeze bunt.

Utah sliced the lead to two with a run in the eighth on a two-out single by Kramer, but Oregon was able to put the game away with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. After stranding 10 runners, eight in scoring position, in the previous four innings, Jonny DeLuca hit a two-run bomb to give UO a four-run lead.

Kelly threw two scoreless innings to pick up his third save and lower his ERA to 2.03 in 25 appearances.

Quotable: Head Coach George Horton
On what else impressed him aside from Yovan's performance…
"Tenacity. You know it was frustrating, looked like we could've separated and extended ourselves several times with the bases loaded; we kept leaving runners and that's dangerous. You let a team make a little bit of a run and have DaShawn Keirsey at the plate as the tying run in the eighth and that wasn't a very comfortable feeling. But luckily we got the out, and Jonny DeLuca's homerun was a big one and I felt a lot better after that one."

Kenyon Yovan, Sophomore, Right-Handed Pitcher
On the adjustments he's had to make to become a starter…
"Being a starter you have to go in there and throw good pitches and hit the right spots, and you've got more wiggle room as a starter to give up runs, but there's more to the game. Regardless I have to go out there and throw strikes, and you know it takes all nine guys to make plays."

On being the Friday night starter…
"It's a great feeling you know, going from closer to Friday. I mean it's just another day though, my routine is the same, I still have to go out there and throw strikes, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, even Tuesday, it doesn't matter what day of the week it I still have to go out there and throw strikes."

Duck Notes: Yovan turned in his seventh consecutive quality start … All three of his career home runs have either tied the game or given the team the lead … Spencer Steer moved into fourth place alone on Oregon's all-time hit by pitch list with 25 ... DeLuca's home run was his fifth this season … He turned in his 12th multi-hit game and sixth multiple-RBI game … Matthews made his 80th consecutive start, tying J.J. Altobelli (2010-12) for the fifth-longest streak in school history … The Ducks hit multiple home runs in a home game for the first time since hitting two April 18, 2016 against Oregon State … Oregon pitching held Utah to 4-for-20 at the plate with runners on base … The two teams combined to leave 23 runners on base.

On Deck: The Ducks and Utes will play game two of the series tomorrow at 2 p.m. at PK Park. Matt Mercer (4-5, 3.62) will get the ball for Oregon while Utah will counter with Josh Tedeschi (1-8, 6.20).