Five-run Hawaii inning dooms Ducks

Thursday, March 5

Honolulu, Hawaii

8:35 PM

University of Oregon

7-5

Hawaii

9-5

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Oregon	2	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	4	10	3
Hawaii	0	0	0	1	0	5	0	0	X	6	5	0

Photo by: Owen Schatz

03/06/20 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score: Hawaii 6, Oregon 4

Honolulu – Oregon jumped out to an early lead, but a five-run Hawaii sixth inning was the difference in a 6-4 loss on Thursday night in the first game of a four-game series at Les Murakami Stadium.

How it Happened: Oregon (7-5) jumped out to an early lead scoring two runs in the top of the first. Tanner Smith led off the game with a double and scored on an Aaron Zavala bases-loaded RBI groundout. Freshman Anthony Hall followed with a run-scoring double driving in Kenyon Yovan.

Zavala added on to Oregon's lead in the third with his second RBI ground out of the game to the second baseman. Sam Novitske led off the inning with a single and scored on the Zavala fielder's choice after moving to third on a Yovan walk and a Gabe Matthews' fielder's choice.

Hawaii (9-5) cut the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth, thanks to some help from the Ducks. Kafka walked the first two batters and Oregon committed a pair of errors, but the Ducks' righty fanned three in the inning to keep a two-run lead.

Yovan pushed the lead back to three on the third pitch of the fifth inning. The Ducks' designated hitter launched a 1-1 pitch over the wall in left field to put Oregon ahead 4-1.

Hawaii broke through with five runs in the bottom of the sixth against two Oregon relievers to take the lead.

Box Score Notes: Zavala went 2-for-5 with two RBI, his fifth straight multi-hit game and his eighth of the season … Zavala's first and third inning RBI were his 17th and 18th of the season, already besting his total (17) from his freshman season … Zavala extended his streak to five games with a RBI, while also giving him RBI in 10 of Oregon's 13 games this season … Zavala's multiple RBI marked his fourth straight game with two RBI and the eighth time this season he drove in a pair of runs … Yovan's home run was his third of the season and the sixth of his career … Hall had his third career multi-hit game … Jack Scanlon had his second career multi-hit game … Kafka left the game with a 4-1 lead after five innings … He allowed just one run on two hits with four Ks and five walks … Freshman Decker Stedman pitched two scoreless innings in relief while retiring all six batters he faced … Stedman matched a season high with three strikeouts … Oregon stranded 11 runners, including two in the first, fourth, sixth and eighth innings.

On Deck: Game two of the series is Friday night at 8:35 p.m. Oregon will send junior Robert Ahlstrom (2-0, 2.89) to the mound, while Hawaii will counter with right-hander Aaron Davenport (3-0, 2.01).