Ducks Open With Win At No. 8 Texas Tech

Friday, February 15

Lubbock, Texas

12:00 PM

University of Oregon

Texas Tech

Photo by: Brandon Brieger

02/15/19 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score: Oregon 9, No. 8 Texas Tech 4

LUBBOCK, Texas – The Oregon Ducks baseball team tied the school record for stolen bases and opened the 2019 season with a 9-4 win on the road over No. 8 Texas Tech. The win came in the first-ever meeting between Oregon and Texas Tech and also against a Red Raiders squad that played in the College World Series in 2018, their third in a five-year span from 2014-18.

Oregon baserunners were aggressive early and often in the win, and the nine stolen bases tied a 70-year old school record that was originally set with a nine-steal effort against Linfield on March 30, 1949. The nine steals were the first game of five or more steals for Oregon since May 30, 2015, when the Ducks stole eight against Canisius.

How it Happened: After Texas Tech opened the scoring in the first inning on an RBI single, Oregon would take the lead with a three-run third, including an RBI single by Spencer Steer and a two-run double by Gabe Matthews that gave the Ducks a 3-1 advantage.

Oregon extended its lead to 6-1 by adding three more runs in the fourth, starting with an RBI double by Max Foxcroft for his first collegiate hit. Six Ducks would reach base in the frame, and an RBI single by Jonny DeLuca and a sacrifice fly by Spencer Steer gave the Ducks a five-run advantage. Tech would answer with two runs in the bottom half, including a solo homer by Cameron Warren off Oregon left-handed reliever Robert Ahlstrom, who made his Ducks debut an inning earlier.

Ahlstrom earned his first win in an Oregon uniform in a three-inning stint, allowing two runs on four hits while retiring the final six hitters he faced.

Oregon scored twice more in the fifth inning on consecutive RBI singles by freshmen Tanner Smith and Sam Novitske and added their final run of the game in the seventh on another RBI single by Smith.

The winds in Lubbock on Friday were at 27 miles per hour, gusting up to 38 miles per hour, and Tech would take advantage of this in the bottom of the sixth. A popup by Dru Baker against Oregon right-handed reliever Brett Walker to the right side of the infield would fall, plating a run and allowing the Red Raiders to narrow the score to 8-4.

Junior right-handed pitcher Kenyon Yovan started and pitched two innings, allowing one run and one hit while walking two and striking out one.

Freshman right-handed pitcher Christian Ciuffetelli entered the game in the eighth, and despite issuing two walks, emerged unscathed and ended the threat by coaxing a groundout by Tech designated hitter Tanner O'Tremba. Junior lefty Nico Tellache pitched a scoreless ninth to preserve the victory.

Box Score Notes: Tech retired the first five Oregon hitters in order, but the Ducks hit at a .441 clip the rest of the game (15-for-34) … Freshman designated hitter Aaron Zavala from Keizer, Oregon went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored in his college debut … Smith, was 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored in his first game in a Duck uniform … Matthews and Steer each drove in two runs in the win … DeLuca, Steer, and Taylor Adams each stole two bases in the win … Red Raider All-American third baseman Josh Jung, who hit .392 with 10 home runs and 69 RBI in 2018, was held hitless by Duck pitchers (0-for-5) on Friday.

Oregon Head Coach George Horton Quotes:
"It's only one game, but it's a really good start. We started four freshmen and they all looked like upperclassmen. We're more athletic more aggressive on the basepaths, and we created some things with our aggressiveness today. We were never going to be 100 percent, but the pluses outweighed the minuses today."

"One of our Ducks who was an upperclassman said it was one of the most fun games he's ever played. When everyone is invested in authentically taking at-bats, pitching and fielding for the team, it's a good start. They're in a good mental place. These guys came in here wanting to compete against this great club."

"The mentality of our pitching staff today was really solid. When you put up a number offensively, you want a shutdown inning right after that. With the ebbs and flows of momentum in a college game, especially with a raucous crowd, that's easier said than done. Especially with the wind blowing out and against a team like this."

Notable: The Ducks' 15 hits set a program record for a season opener (since 2009) … Smith and Zavala both became the first Oregon freshmen since 2009 to record three hits in a season opener … Six players got their first collegiate starts, including four true freshmen (Foxcroft, Novitske, Smith and Zavala) … The four true freshmen starters matched a program record for a season opener (2011) … Adams and Cameron Campbell, both juniors, were the other two to start their first game at Oregon … The Ducks are now 16-14 in season openers in program history, but are 8-3 since baseball returned in 2009.

On Deck: Oregon continues its season-opening, four-game series at Texas Tech tomorrow (Saturday, Feb. 16), with first pitch scheduled for 3:00 p.m. local time (1:00 p.m. Pacific).