Saturday, February 18
Eugene, Ore.
12:05 PM
University of Oregon
2-0
9
vs
2
Xavier
0-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
Xavier
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
2
6
0
Oregon
3
1
2
3
0
0
X
9
9
1
Photo by: Rob Moseley/GoDucks.com
Young Arms Fuel Doubleheader Sweep
02/18/23 | Baseball
Box Score 1Box Score 2Game 1 Box Score: #20 Oregon 9, Xavier 2Game 2 Box Score: #20 Oregon 5, Xavier 3
Freshmen threw 14 of 16 innings Saturday against Xavier, and the bats came alive as Oregon won twice at PK Park.
EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon's bats broke out in a doubleheader Saturday at PK Park, and freshmen threw 14 of the 16 innings as the Ducks swept Xavier by scores of 9-2 and 5-3.
After the Ducks rallied for a 3-2, walk-off win in the season opener Friday, the offense woke up in Saturday's seven-inning opener as Josiah Cromwick hit two of Oregon's three homers. In the nine-inning nightcap, Rikuu Nishida drove in three runs and also scored on Drew Cowley's two-run homer in the fifth, which ended up being the game-winning RBIs.
Freshmen Leo Uelmen and Grayson Grinsell didn't allow an unearned run over seven combined innings in the opener, while fellow freshmen Matthew Grabmann and Turner Spoljaric allowed one earned run across seven combined innings in game two. Uelmen and Spoljaric each earned his first collegiate win, stepping up for a pitching staff dealing with some injuries among veterans.
"We know that we're all gonna have to pitch a bunch, but we're all in the mindset that it doesn't matter how old we are," Uelmen said. "We have two 23-year olds, we have 18-year olds — it doesn't matter. Everyone's pitching. You're part of the staff, it doesn't matter how old you are."
The Ducks created runs with everything from Nishida's slap hitting to Cromwick's light-tower power. Still, UO coach Mark Wasikowski said he believes the hitters can produce even more, and Cromwick agreed.
"For sure I think we can do even better than we did today," Cromwick said. "And we're gonna keep getting better."
Game One: Oregon 9, Xavier 2
Uelmen allowed two unearned runs across five innings in his UO debut to open the doubleheader, and Grinsell faced the minimum in two innings of relief. The Ducks scored in each of the first four innings, with Cromwick homering twice, Sabin Ceballos homering in his first at-bat as a Duck and Nishida going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs.
How It Happened: After Uelmen pitched around a one-out single in the first, Nishida and Drew Cowley had back-to-back singles to open the bottom of the first. The next two hitters were retired, but Cromwick came through in the clutch, launching a moonshot down the left-field line that snuck over the fence.
Ceballos homered to open the second, before Cromwick came up in the third with one on and two out. Again he got a big two-out hit, this time a no-doubter that sailed into the parking lot behind the left-field wall.
Nishida then singled in two runs and came around to score on a double by Tanner Smith in the fourth. That was more than enough offense to support Uelmen, the first of the four freshmen who appeared on the mound for Oregon in the doubleheader.
"We're just really excited, Uelmen said. "I was nervous during the National Anthem and warming up in the 'pen, but once I got out there it just felt like normal, any time I've ever pitched before. It was a lot of fun, just sitting in the dugout thinking about where I'm at and how big of a blessing it is. It was really fun."
Game Two: Oregon 5, Xavier 3
Nishida contributed to every scoring situation in Saturday's second game, driving in the game-tying run in the third and then driving in two more before scoring on Cowley's homer in Oregon's four-run fifth inning. By that point Spoljaric had replaced Grabmann on the mound, after Grabmann allowed one run over four innings, and Spoljaric allowed only an unearned run across three innings of relief to pick up the win.
How It Happened: Xavier got on the board first with a homer in the top of the third. In the bottom of the inning, Bennett Thompson reached on a two-base error, then took third on a flyball to center field. Nishida then chopped a ball at the first baseman, who couldn't grip the ball cleanly while trying to throw home as Thompson scored the tying run.
Dominic Hellman and Colby Shade both reached to open the fifth, and Thompson bunted them over. With two outs, Nishida poked a single into left to score both runners, and Cowley followed with his first home run of the season. That gave Spoljaric the lead as he took the mound for his second inning of work.
"I thought I was going to be nervous; I felt very calm and prepared for it," said Spoljaric, who relied in part on a slider he added to his repertoire just last week with help from UO pitching coach Jake Angier. "And I think that's because of our coaching staff, and the preparation we put in all fall and spring. I went out there and just kind of worried about execution. I was having fun."
An error allowed Xavier to score and get within 5-2 in the sixth. Matt Dallas relieved Spoljaric in the eighth and allowed a solo homer, but he got the next six outs to clinch the doubleheader sweep.
Inside The Boxscores: Nishida has a hit in each of the Ducks' first three games and is hitting .400. … Nishida also has five RBIs through three games, tied for the team lead with the five Cromwick posted in Saturday's opener. … The Ducks have used five freshman pitchers across the first three games. … Oregon used three different starting lineups in the first three games, including a different designated hitter each time out. Wasikowski said he's likely to use a fourth different lineup Sunday.
On Deck: The Ducks host the series finale Sunday in PK Park at noon. Freshman Jackson Pace is slated to make his first collegiate start for Oregon.
Postgame interviews:
Head coach Mark Wasikowski
Junior catcher Josiah Cromwick
Freshman pitcher Leo Uelmen
Freshman pitcher Turner Spoljaric
After the Ducks rallied for a 3-2, walk-off win in the season opener Friday, the offense woke up in Saturday's seven-inning opener as Josiah Cromwick hit two of Oregon's three homers. In the nine-inning nightcap, Rikuu Nishida drove in three runs and also scored on Drew Cowley's two-run homer in the fifth, which ended up being the game-winning RBIs.
Freshmen Leo Uelmen and Grayson Grinsell didn't allow an unearned run over seven combined innings in the opener, while fellow freshmen Matthew Grabmann and Turner Spoljaric allowed one earned run across seven combined innings in game two. Uelmen and Spoljaric each earned his first collegiate win, stepping up for a pitching staff dealing with some injuries among veterans.
"We know that we're all gonna have to pitch a bunch, but we're all in the mindset that it doesn't matter how old we are," Uelmen said. "We have two 23-year olds, we have 18-year olds — it doesn't matter. Everyone's pitching. You're part of the staff, it doesn't matter how old you are."
The Ducks created runs with everything from Nishida's slap hitting to Cromwick's light-tower power. Still, UO coach Mark Wasikowski said he believes the hitters can produce even more, and Cromwick agreed.
"For sure I think we can do even better than we did today," Cromwick said. "And we're gonna keep getting better."
Game One: Oregon 9, Xavier 2
Uelmen allowed two unearned runs across five innings in his UO debut to open the doubleheader, and Grinsell faced the minimum in two innings of relief. The Ducks scored in each of the first four innings, with Cromwick homering twice, Sabin Ceballos homering in his first at-bat as a Duck and Nishida going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs.
How It Happened: After Uelmen pitched around a one-out single in the first, Nishida and Drew Cowley had back-to-back singles to open the bottom of the first. The next two hitters were retired, but Cromwick came through in the clutch, launching a moonshot down the left-field line that snuck over the fence.
Ceballos homered to open the second, before Cromwick came up in the third with one on and two out. Again he got a big two-out hit, this time a no-doubter that sailed into the parking lot behind the left-field wall.
Nishida then singled in two runs and came around to score on a double by Tanner Smith in the fourth. That was more than enough offense to support Uelmen, the first of the four freshmen who appeared on the mound for Oregon in the doubleheader.
"We're just really excited, Uelmen said. "I was nervous during the National Anthem and warming up in the 'pen, but once I got out there it just felt like normal, any time I've ever pitched before. It was a lot of fun, just sitting in the dugout thinking about where I'm at and how big of a blessing it is. It was really fun."
Game Two: Oregon 5, Xavier 3
Nishida contributed to every scoring situation in Saturday's second game, driving in the game-tying run in the third and then driving in two more before scoring on Cowley's homer in Oregon's four-run fifth inning. By that point Spoljaric had replaced Grabmann on the mound, after Grabmann allowed one run over four innings, and Spoljaric allowed only an unearned run across three innings of relief to pick up the win.
How It Happened: Xavier got on the board first with a homer in the top of the third. In the bottom of the inning, Bennett Thompson reached on a two-base error, then took third on a flyball to center field. Nishida then chopped a ball at the first baseman, who couldn't grip the ball cleanly while trying to throw home as Thompson scored the tying run.
Dominic Hellman and Colby Shade both reached to open the fifth, and Thompson bunted them over. With two outs, Nishida poked a single into left to score both runners, and Cowley followed with his first home run of the season. That gave Spoljaric the lead as he took the mound for his second inning of work.
"I thought I was going to be nervous; I felt very calm and prepared for it," said Spoljaric, who relied in part on a slider he added to his repertoire just last week with help from UO pitching coach Jake Angier. "And I think that's because of our coaching staff, and the preparation we put in all fall and spring. I went out there and just kind of worried about execution. I was having fun."
An error allowed Xavier to score and get within 5-2 in the sixth. Matt Dallas relieved Spoljaric in the eighth and allowed a solo homer, but he got the next six outs to clinch the doubleheader sweep.
Inside The Boxscores: Nishida has a hit in each of the Ducks' first three games and is hitting .400. … Nishida also has five RBIs through three games, tied for the team lead with the five Cromwick posted in Saturday's opener. … The Ducks have used five freshman pitchers across the first three games. … Oregon used three different starting lineups in the first three games, including a different designated hitter each time out. Wasikowski said he's likely to use a fourth different lineup Sunday.
On Deck: The Ducks host the series finale Sunday in PK Park at noon. Freshman Jackson Pace is slated to make his first collegiate start for Oregon.
Postgame interviews:
Head coach Mark Wasikowski
Junior catcher Josiah Cromwick
Freshman pitcher Leo Uelmen
Freshman pitcher Turner Spoljaric
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Uelmen, Leo (1-0)
L: ALAZAUS, Brant (0-1)
Batting:
2B: WALKER, Andrew 1
RBI: SCHULTZ, Garrett 1 ; HOUSINGER, Jack 1
Base Running:
RUNS: SCHULTZ, Garrett 1 ; HELMIN, Alex 1
HBP: HENDRICKSON, Carter 1
Batting:
2B: Smith, Tanner 1
HR: Cromwick, Josiah 2 ; Ceballos, Sabin 1
RBI: Nishida, Rikuu 2 ; Smith, Tanner 1 ; Cromwick, Josiah 5 ; Ceballos, Sabin 1
SH: Grant, Gavin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nishida, Rikuu 2 ; Cowley, Drew 1 ; Diodati, Owen 1 ; Cromwick, Josiah 2 ; Ceballos, Sabin 2 ; Shade, Colby 1
SB: Nishida, Rikuu 1
CS: Ganus, Tyler 1
HBP: Smith, Tanner 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
5
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF/C
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF/LHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP
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