Friday, April 21
Berkeley, Calif.
7:05 PM
University of Oregon
25-11, 10-6
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California
17-17, 5-14
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9
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Oregon
0
0
2
1
1
0
0
1
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5
9
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California
0
1
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0
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0
3
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7
1
Photo by: Hudson Downard
Ducks win series opener at Cal
04/21/23 | Baseball
BERKELEY, Calif. – Tanner Smith and Colby Shade homered while Josh Mollerus picked up his seventh save of the season as Oregon picked up a 5-4 win at California in Pac-12 Conference action on Friday night at Stu Gordon Field.
The win for the Ducks was their fifth consecutive win to open a series and their eighth in 10 total series this season.
How It Happened: Cal took an early lead with a run in the second, but the Ducks answered almost immediately. Rikuu Nishida reached with a two-out single and came around to score on a Colby Shade triple into the right-field corner to tie it. Drew Cowley followed with a two-strike single plating Shade for the lead.
Oregon tacked on another run in both the fourth and fifth with solo homers. Tanner Smith led off the fourth with a laser over the right-field wall, before Colby Shade launched a mammoth shot over the left-center field wall for a 4-1 lead.
After winning back-to-back Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week honors, Oregon (25-11, 10-6 Pac-12) starter Jace Stoffal continued to dominate early in the game despite seeing his scoreless inning streaked snapped at 19 when Cal (17-17, 5-14 Pac-12) put a run on the board in the second inning.
Stoffal held the Golden Bears to just one run through six inning before running into some trouble in the bottom of the seventh. Cal tied the game with three runs after four of their first five batters recorded hits in the inning forcing Oregon to go to its bullpen with a runner on first on just one out.
Matt Dallas (5-1) forced a ground-ball double play from the only batter he would face to end the inning.
Oregon took advantage pushing an unearned run across the plate in the top of the eighth putting Dallas in line for the win. Cowley reached base with his second hit of the game with one out and moved to second on a Sabin Ceballos walk.
Cal went to its bullpen and it looked like the Golden Bears would get out of the inning, but shortstop Carson Crawford pulled the first baseman off the bag with a high throw on a Jacob Walsh ground ball that should have ended the inning. Cowley took advantage scoring from second to put the Ducks in the lead.
After Grayson Grinsell walked a batter before getting reigning Pac-12 Player of the Week Kade Kretzschamar to fly out, Mollerus entered the game to get the final five outs.
He retired to of the three batters he faced before fanning three of the four batters he faced to wrap up the win for Oregon.
Box Score Notes: Smith's home run was his first since hitting homers in five straight games from March 19-26 … It was his 27th career long ball tying Guy Krause (1971-74) for the second most in school history … Mollerus moved into a tie for 10th all-time in single-season saves with Drew Gagnier (2009) … Dallas threw five pitches in the game while picking up the win … Stoffal had his consecutive quality start streak snapped at four after giving up four runs on six hits in 6.1 innings … Freshman Drew Smith made his collegiate start batting eighth while serving as the designated hitter … Smith is the eighth freshman from Oregon's heralded No. 5 national-ranked recruiting class to make a start in 2023.
On Deck: Oregon and California will play game two of the series on Saturday at Stu Gordon Stadium. First pitch is at 2:05 p.m.
The win for the Ducks was their fifth consecutive win to open a series and their eighth in 10 total series this season.
How It Happened: Cal took an early lead with a run in the second, but the Ducks answered almost immediately. Rikuu Nishida reached with a two-out single and came around to score on a Colby Shade triple into the right-field corner to tie it. Drew Cowley followed with a two-strike single plating Shade for the lead.
Oregon tacked on another run in both the fourth and fifth with solo homers. Tanner Smith led off the fourth with a laser over the right-field wall, before Colby Shade launched a mammoth shot over the left-center field wall for a 4-1 lead.
After winning back-to-back Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week honors, Oregon (25-11, 10-6 Pac-12) starter Jace Stoffal continued to dominate early in the game despite seeing his scoreless inning streaked snapped at 19 when Cal (17-17, 5-14 Pac-12) put a run on the board in the second inning.
Stoffal held the Golden Bears to just one run through six inning before running into some trouble in the bottom of the seventh. Cal tied the game with three runs after four of their first five batters recorded hits in the inning forcing Oregon to go to its bullpen with a runner on first on just one out.
Matt Dallas (5-1) forced a ground-ball double play from the only batter he would face to end the inning.
Oregon took advantage pushing an unearned run across the plate in the top of the eighth putting Dallas in line for the win. Cowley reached base with his second hit of the game with one out and moved to second on a Sabin Ceballos walk.
Cal went to its bullpen and it looked like the Golden Bears would get out of the inning, but shortstop Carson Crawford pulled the first baseman off the bag with a high throw on a Jacob Walsh ground ball that should have ended the inning. Cowley took advantage scoring from second to put the Ducks in the lead.
After Grayson Grinsell walked a batter before getting reigning Pac-12 Player of the Week Kade Kretzschamar to fly out, Mollerus entered the game to get the final five outs.
He retired to of the three batters he faced before fanning three of the four batters he faced to wrap up the win for Oregon.
Box Score Notes: Smith's home run was his first since hitting homers in five straight games from March 19-26 … It was his 27th career long ball tying Guy Krause (1971-74) for the second most in school history … Mollerus moved into a tie for 10th all-time in single-season saves with Drew Gagnier (2009) … Dallas threw five pitches in the game while picking up the win … Stoffal had his consecutive quality start streak snapped at four after giving up four runs on six hits in 6.1 innings … Freshman Drew Smith made his collegiate start batting eighth while serving as the designated hitter … Smith is the eighth freshman from Oregon's heralded No. 5 national-ranked recruiting class to make a start in 2023.
On Deck: Oregon and California will play game two of the series on Saturday at Stu Gordon Stadium. First pitch is at 2:05 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Dallas, Matt (5-1)
L: Tyler Stasiowski (0-1)
S: Mollerus, Josh (7)
Batting:
3B: Shade, Colby 1
HR: Shade, Colby 1 ; Smith, Tanner 1
RBI: Shade, Colby 2 ; Cowley, Drew 1 ; Smith, Tanner 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Nishida, Rikuu 1 ; Shade, Colby 2 ; Cowley, Drew 1 ; Smith, Tanner 1
CS: Smith, Drew 1
HBP: Grant, Gavin 1
Batting:
2B: Nathan Manning 2
RBI: Max Handron 1 ; Nathan Manning 1 ; Dom Souto 1
SH: Jack Johnston 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Peyton Schulze 1 ; Carson Crawford 1 ; Nathan Manning 1 ; Dom Souto 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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RHP
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OF/LHP
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RHP
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OF
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RHP
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1B
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