Friday, March 31
Tucson, Ariz.
6:00 PM
University of Oregon
16-7, 4-3-0
15
at
3
Arizona
14-10, 3-7-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 22 | 1 |
| Arizona | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
Photo by: Hudson Downard
Ducks make statement in series-opening win at Arizona
03/31/23 | Baseball
TUCSON, Ariz. – Jace Stoffal and Austin Anderson combined for a dominant performance on the mound and Oregon exploded for 22 hits in a 15-3 Pac-12 Conference win at Arizona on Friday night at Hi Corbett Field.
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Stoffal allowed just three runs (two earned) on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks before giving way to Anderson who fanned four in two scoreless innings of work. Â
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How It Happened: Oregon jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first. Rikuu Nishida walked and stole second before moving to third on a Drew Cowley ground out and then scored on a Sabin Ceballos infield hit.
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Oregon added to the lead in a big way in the second innings scoring seven runs. Jacob Walsh started the rally with a leadoff homer run to the opposite field and ended it with a RBI single to right field. Between that time Oregon tacked on five other runs.
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After the Walsh homer, Josiah Cromwick reached on a hit-by-pitch and moved to second on a Dominic Hellman single, before scoring on a Nishida base hit. Colby Shade walked to load the bases setting up Cowley, he lined a bases-clearing triple into the right-center gap for a 6-1 lead.
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Ceballos picked up his second RBI base hit in as many innings driving in Cowley, before eventually coming around to score ON Walsh's single.
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Arizona got two back in their half of the inning, before Oregon responded with five more runs in the fifth batting around for the second time in the game.
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Cromwick led off the inning with a single and moved to third on a Gavin Grant base hit before Nishida executed a perfect bunt single that scored Cromwick.
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Colby Shade tacked on another run with a RBI single scoring Grant from second. After a Cowley walk, Ceballos tacked on RBI number three and four to give Oregon a 10-run lead. Tanner Smith made it 11 with a RBI single three pitches later.
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Arizona responded with a run in its half of the inning, but Oregon got it right back in the sixth. Hellman led off with a base hit and scored from first on a Gavin Grant RBI single into the left-field corner.
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Walsh gave Oregon another run in the top of the seventh when he crushed a ball over the center-field wall for his second homer of the game.
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Box Score Notes: Oregon's 22 hits were a season high … All nine Oregon starters had a hit with eight contributing more than one hit … Walsh led the way with four hits, while Ceballos, Smith and Grant all had three hits … Seven starters had an RBI with four contributing multiple run batted in … Ceballos led the way with four RBI, while Cowley and Walsh both had three … Eight starters scored at least run, while seven scored two runs … Walsh was the first Ducks to hit two home runs since Ceballos did it last Friday vs. Northwestern State … Stoffal's quality start was the third of his career and his second in as many starts against Arizona … Anderson's four Ks matched his season high … Both Stoffal and Anderson are graduates of Roseburg High School in Roseburg, Ore., and both played at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg … Oregon won game one of the series at Arizona for the third time (2012, 2017, 2023) in rivalry history … The Ducks have won game one of the series eight times total with five (2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2022) coming in Eugene.
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On Deck: Oregon and Arizona will play game two of the series on Saturday with a 6 p.m. first pitch. Oregon will send junior right-hander Logan Mercado (2-0, 5.33) to the mound, while Arizona will counter with left-hander Bradon Zastrow (2-1, 4.71).
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Stoffal allowed just three runs (two earned) on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks before giving way to Anderson who fanned four in two scoreless innings of work. Â
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How It Happened: Oregon jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first. Rikuu Nishida walked and stole second before moving to third on a Drew Cowley ground out and then scored on a Sabin Ceballos infield hit.
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Oregon added to the lead in a big way in the second innings scoring seven runs. Jacob Walsh started the rally with a leadoff homer run to the opposite field and ended it with a RBI single to right field. Between that time Oregon tacked on five other runs.
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After the Walsh homer, Josiah Cromwick reached on a hit-by-pitch and moved to second on a Dominic Hellman single, before scoring on a Nishida base hit. Colby Shade walked to load the bases setting up Cowley, he lined a bases-clearing triple into the right-center gap for a 6-1 lead.
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Ceballos picked up his second RBI base hit in as many innings driving in Cowley, before eventually coming around to score ON Walsh's single.
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Arizona got two back in their half of the inning, before Oregon responded with five more runs in the fifth batting around for the second time in the game.
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Cromwick led off the inning with a single and moved to third on a Gavin Grant base hit before Nishida executed a perfect bunt single that scored Cromwick.
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Colby Shade tacked on another run with a RBI single scoring Grant from second. After a Cowley walk, Ceballos tacked on RBI number three and four to give Oregon a 10-run lead. Tanner Smith made it 11 with a RBI single three pitches later.
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Arizona responded with a run in its half of the inning, but Oregon got it right back in the sixth. Hellman led off with a base hit and scored from first on a Gavin Grant RBI single into the left-field corner.
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Walsh gave Oregon another run in the top of the seventh when he crushed a ball over the center-field wall for his second homer of the game.
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Box Score Notes: Oregon's 22 hits were a season high … All nine Oregon starters had a hit with eight contributing more than one hit … Walsh led the way with four hits, while Ceballos, Smith and Grant all had three hits … Seven starters had an RBI with four contributing multiple run batted in … Ceballos led the way with four RBI, while Cowley and Walsh both had three … Eight starters scored at least run, while seven scored two runs … Walsh was the first Ducks to hit two home runs since Ceballos did it last Friday vs. Northwestern State … Stoffal's quality start was the third of his career and his second in as many starts against Arizona … Anderson's four Ks matched his season high … Both Stoffal and Anderson are graduates of Roseburg High School in Roseburg, Ore., and both played at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg … Oregon won game one of the series at Arizona for the third time (2012, 2017, 2023) in rivalry history … The Ducks have won game one of the series eight times total with five (2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2022) coming in Eugene.
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On Deck: Oregon and Arizona will play game two of the series on Saturday with a 6 p.m. first pitch. Oregon will send junior right-hander Logan Mercado (2-0, 5.33) to the mound, while Arizona will counter with left-hander Bradon Zastrow (2-1, 4.71).
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Stoffal, Jace (3-2)
L: Nichols, TJ (3-3)
Batting:
2B: Shade, Colby 1 ; Ceballos, Sabin 1 ; Grant, Gavin 1
3B: Cowley, Drew 1
HR: Walsh, Jacob 2
RBI: Nishida, Rikuu 2 ; Shade, Colby 1 ; Cowley, Drew 3 ; Ceballos, Sabin 4 ; Smith, Tanner 1 ; Walsh, Jacob 3 ; Grant, Gavin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nishida, Rikuu 2 ; Shade, Colby 2 ; Cowley, Drew 2 ; Ceballos, Sabin 2 ; Walsh, Jacob 2 ; Cromwick, Josiah 2 ; Hellman, Dominic 2 ; Grant, Gavin 1
SB: Nishida, Rikuu 1
CS: Nishida, Rikuu 1
HBP: Cromwick, Josiah 1
Batting:
2B: LaLiberte, Cameron 1 ; White, Mason 1
RBI: McClaughry, Nik 1 ; Caulfield, Garen 1
SF: McClaughry, Nik 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Davis, Chase 1 ; LaLiberte, Cameron 1 ; White, Mason 1
HBP: Davis, Chase 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
2
H
4
RBI
3
AB
6
R
2
H
3
RBI
4
AB
5
R
0
H
3
RBI
1
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
RHP
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INF
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INF
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OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
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