Wednesday, March 6
Phoenix, Ariz.
1:05 PM
University of Oregon
9-3
13
at
5
Grand Canyon
6-7
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 21 | 0 |
| Grand Canyon | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 1 |
Photo by: Hudson Downard
Ducks finish two-game series sweep at Grand Canyon
03/06/24 | Baseball
PHOENIX — Oregon pounded Grand Canyon for 21 hits on Wednesday afternoon including four home runs in a 13-5 win at GCU Ballpark.
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Justin Cassella, Ryan Cooney, Mason Neville and Jacob Walsh all homered while Oregon scored 11 of its runs between the fourth and seventh innings.
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Reliever Ian Umlandt provided Oregon with four quality innings on the mound after entering the game with the Ducks trailing 4-2. The sophomore lefty retired all 12 batter he faced while Oregon went from trailing to leading 13-4 when he left the game.
How It Happened: Cassella got the Ducks off to a quick start hitting the first pitch of the game over the left-field wall and a 1-0 Oregon lead.
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Grand Canyon answered with a pair of runs on a two-run home run in the bottom of the first, but Oregon tied it in the top of the second on a Cooney solo homer.
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Another two-run Grand Canyon home run gave the Lopes a 4-2 lead in the third, but Oregon came right back in the top of the fourth when Jacob Walsh hit a tape-measure two-run home run over the right-field wall to tie it.
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Oregon took the lead in the top of the fifth. Cassella led off the inning with a bunt single and moved to third on back-to-back walks to Neville and Drew Smith. Jeffery Heard gave the Ducks the lead with a sacrifice fly scoring Cassella, before Anson Aroz made it a two-run lead with an RBI single. Â
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Oregon broke the game open in the top of the sixth putting five runs on the board. Chase Meggers (4-for-5, 2 R) led off the inning with a single and moved to third on a Carter Garate (3-for-5, 2 2B, 2 R) double. Cassella picked up his second of four RBI on the day when he knocked in Meggers with a sacrifice fly.
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Neville gave Oregon a five-run lead on the next pitch when he crushed a ball over the scoreboard in center field. After a Smith walk and Heard double put runners on second and third, Aroz and Walsh delivered nearly identical RBI singles through the six-hole to push the lead to 11-4.
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Oregon tacked on two more for good measure in the seventh with Meggers and Garate setting the table again with back-to-back singles that put runners on second and third after Garate moved up to second on the throw to third. Cassella made it a four-RBI day when he drove in both Meggers and Garate with a single off the left-field wall.
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Box Score Notes: Umlandt picked up his second career win and his first of the season … Walsh's home run was the 26th of his career, moving him into sole possession of fourth all-time at Oregon just ahead of Shaun Chase (2012-15) … Walsh is five behind all-time leader Tanner Smith (2019-23) … Oregon's 21 hits were the most by a Ducks' team since UO had 21 at Arizona on April 1, 2023 … Neville has homered in three straight games, the most since Tanner Smith did that against Stanford and Portland from April 15-18, 2023.
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On Deck: Oregon will stay in Phoenix and open Pac-12 Conference play at Arizona State on Friday. First pitch is 5:30 p.m. (PT).
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Justin Cassella, Ryan Cooney, Mason Neville and Jacob Walsh all homered while Oregon scored 11 of its runs between the fourth and seventh innings.
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Reliever Ian Umlandt provided Oregon with four quality innings on the mound after entering the game with the Ducks trailing 4-2. The sophomore lefty retired all 12 batter he faced while Oregon went from trailing to leading 13-4 when he left the game.
How It Happened: Cassella got the Ducks off to a quick start hitting the first pitch of the game over the left-field wall and a 1-0 Oregon lead.
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Grand Canyon answered with a pair of runs on a two-run home run in the bottom of the first, but Oregon tied it in the top of the second on a Cooney solo homer.
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Another two-run Grand Canyon home run gave the Lopes a 4-2 lead in the third, but Oregon came right back in the top of the fourth when Jacob Walsh hit a tape-measure two-run home run over the right-field wall to tie it.
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Oregon took the lead in the top of the fifth. Cassella led off the inning with a bunt single and moved to third on back-to-back walks to Neville and Drew Smith. Jeffery Heard gave the Ducks the lead with a sacrifice fly scoring Cassella, before Anson Aroz made it a two-run lead with an RBI single. Â
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Oregon broke the game open in the top of the sixth putting five runs on the board. Chase Meggers (4-for-5, 2 R) led off the inning with a single and moved to third on a Carter Garate (3-for-5, 2 2B, 2 R) double. Cassella picked up his second of four RBI on the day when he knocked in Meggers with a sacrifice fly.
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Neville gave Oregon a five-run lead on the next pitch when he crushed a ball over the scoreboard in center field. After a Smith walk and Heard double put runners on second and third, Aroz and Walsh delivered nearly identical RBI singles through the six-hole to push the lead to 11-4.
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Oregon tacked on two more for good measure in the seventh with Meggers and Garate setting the table again with back-to-back singles that put runners on second and third after Garate moved up to second on the throw to third. Cassella made it a four-RBI day when he drove in both Meggers and Garate with a single off the left-field wall.
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Box Score Notes: Umlandt picked up his second career win and his first of the season … Walsh's home run was the 26th of his career, moving him into sole possession of fourth all-time at Oregon just ahead of Shaun Chase (2012-15) … Walsh is five behind all-time leader Tanner Smith (2019-23) … Oregon's 21 hits were the most by a Ducks' team since UO had 21 at Arizona on April 1, 2023 … Neville has homered in three straight games, the most since Tanner Smith did that against Stanford and Portland from April 15-18, 2023.
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On Deck: Oregon will stay in Phoenix and open Pac-12 Conference play at Arizona State on Friday. First pitch is 5:30 p.m. (PT).
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Umlandt, Ian (1-0)
L: Case, David (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Cassella, Justin 1 ; Heard, Jeffery 1 ; Garate, Carter 2
HR: Cassella, Justin 1 ; Neville, Mason 1 ; Walsh, Jacob 1 ; Cooney, Ryan 1
RBI: Cassella, Justin 4 ; Neville, Mason 2 ; Heard, Jeffery 1 ; Aroz, Anson 2 ; Walsh, Jacob 3 ; Cooney, Ryan 1
SF: Cassella, Justin 1 ; Heard, Jeffery 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cassella, Justin 2 ; Neville, Mason 2 ; Smith, Drew 1 ; Heard, Jeffery 1 ; Aroz, Anson 1 ; Walsh, Jacob 1 ; Cooney, Ryan 1 ; Meggers, Chase 2 ; Garate, Carter 2
CS: Meggers, Chase 1
Batting:
2B: Ankeney, Beau 2
HR: Yorke, Zach 1 ; Wilson, Tyler 1
RBI: Yorke, Zach 2 ; Wilson, Tyler 2
SH: Sheehan, John 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sanders, Troy 1 ; Verdusco, Cade 1 ; Yorke, Zach 1 ; Ankeney, Beau 1 ; Wilson, Tyler 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
2
H
4
RBI
4
AB
5
R
2
H
4
RBI
0
rf/lf
AB
3
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
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