Friday, March 31
Tucson, Ariz.
6:00 PM
University of Oregon
16-7, 4-3-0
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Arizona
14-10, 3-7-0
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Oregon
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Arizona
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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
Hitting
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
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