Hellman Belts Two Grand Slams, Ducks Roll To Win

Friday, February 28

Eugene, Ore.

3:05 p.m.

University of Oregon

Columbia

Photo by: Jackson Fisk

02/28/25 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score: #11 Oregon 20, Columbia 11 Photo Gallery

EUGENE, Ore. — Dominic Hellman belted a pair of grand slam home runs to lead No. 11 Oregon to a 20-11 win over Columbia in game one of a four-game series on Friday night at PK Park.

Hellman, who went 3-for-5 with eight RBI and three runs scored, hit the home runs in the Ducks' seven-run second inning and UO's four-run seventh inning. He finished with three extra-base hits, doubling to leadoff the fifth inning as well.

How It Happened: Some early fireworks as the two teams combined to score 10 runs in the second inning. After the Lions put three on the board with a two-run homer and an RBI double, the Ducks answered with seven in their half of the inning.

Anson Aroz led off the inning with a single and moved to third on a Maddox Molony hit before Burke-Lee Mabeus put UO on the board with an RBI double off the top of the left-field wall. Jack Brooks walked to load the bases before a Ryan Cooney hit-by-pitch and Carter Garate bloop single both scored runs to tie the game 3-3.

Hellman stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and launched the first pitch he saw off the scoreboard beyond the left-field wall for a 7-3 Ducks' lead.

Oregon (7-2) tacked on a run in the third to make it 8-3. Mabeus led off the inning with a bunt single and moved to second on throwing error by Lions' pitcher Will Harrigan. Cooney picked up his second RBI of the day driving in Mabeus with a line drive to left field.

Columbia (1-3) cut the lead to 8-4 with a run in the fourth inning, but Oregon countered with another big inning in its half of the frame.

Jeffery Heard led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run over the right-center field wall. Hellman reached on a HBP before moving to second on an Aroz single and to third when Molony got hit by a pitch. With the bases loaded, Mabeus ripped his second double of the game, this time a two-run shot into the right-field corner. He scored on a Brooks' groundout after Molony scored on a wild pitch to make it a five-run inning.

The Lions got three back in the sixth to cut the UO lead to 13-7, but Oregon responded with a pair of runs in its half of the inning. Cooney reached on an error to lead off the inning and moved to second on a Garate bunt single and to third on a wild pitch. Heard collected his second RBI of the game with a liner to left to score Cooney, before Garate scored on an Aroz sacrifice fly.

The two teams traded four-spots in the seventh inning. After a three-run homer cut Oregon's lead to four, the Ducks got them all back with one swing of the bat again by Hellman. After Oregon loaded the bases with two outs, Hellman launched his second grand slam of the game over the left-center field wall to push the lead back to eight runs.

Oregon added to the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning. Mabeus reached base for the fifth time in the game when he was hit by a pitch. Another HBP and a walk loaded the bases allowing Garate to drive in Mabeus with a sacrifice fly.

Jaxon Jordan shut the Lions down over the final 2.1 innings allowing just one hit with a strikeout to close the game out.

Box Score Notes: Hellman's grand slams were the third and fourth of the season for the Ducks with all four coming over an eleven-inning stretch between last Sunday's series finale against Rhode Island and the series opener vs. Columbia … Hellman's eight RBI tied a program record set by current Ducks' assistant coach Jack Marder vs. Nevada on March 19, 2010 … Seven Ducks were hit by a pitch during the game matching a program record set on April 14, 2014 when San Diego plunked seven Ducks and matched on April 12, 2023 when San Francisco hit seven Ducks … Oregon's 20 runs scored tied for the eighth most in program history, marking just the ninth time UO has scored 20-or-more runs in a game … It was the most runs scored by a Ducks' team since UO matched the program record with 23 runs scored on Feb. 25, 2022 … Grayson Grinsell struck out seven in 5.1 innings of work, moving into eighth on Oregon's all-time strikeout list passing Dean Kegler (1978-81) and Robbie Snow (1962-64) … Grinsell (1-1) go the win, the 10th of his career.

On Deck: The teams play a doubleheader at PK Park on Saturday with a 11:05 a.m. first pitch.

Coach Mark Wasikowski

On the team's offensive approach...
"We swung the bats well. We were able to win a high scoring game. You have to win a lot of different ways if you're going to be a good club and it was good to see. It's good to see us be able to continue an offensive attack and we had some big swing obviously, but it took a lot of good at bats to get to the big swings."

On winning in different ways...
"We just want to play good baseball and I thought we played good baseball today. We played an errorless game. We gave up some runs, but we got a lot more runs. We need to get Ryan (Featherston) back on track because at some point we're going to need Ryan. That's an obvious takeaway. Grayson (Grinsell) pitched well. Jaxon Jordan came in and was fantastic again. I think that's his second straight outing in live games where he has been outstanding and he's been really good at practice as well. So it was good to see Jaxon and Grayson but it's just unfortunate, we need to get Ryan going."

On Anson Aroz playing center and having Jeffery Heard back...
"It's great to have Jeffery back out there. It's also great to have Maddox Molony back out there. Just the more healthy bodies we can get. I think fans are going to really like a kid named Parker Stinson. He hasn't even played for us yet this year and he was our best hitter for the fall and the spring. He's really good and we're hoping he can get healthy where fans can see him. He's a special talent."

Jaxon Jordan

On what was working tonight…
"A lot of trust in my stuff, I'd say, you know. Not overthinking, which has been a problem in the past. Just kind of going out, letting it loose, a lot of trust. I know that I'm good, I know why I'm here."

On development and role on the team…
"Not really worries about roles too much. Just like I said, just going out there and winning games for my team. You know, they deserve it. They work their tails off. So, I mean the least I can do it just go out there, free minded and go shove."

Burke-Lee Mabeus
On what was working tonight…
"I was just staying loose through the middle. I think this was my first at-bat against a lefty in college. That was a big at-bat for me. Marder pulled me aside and he was just saying, really trust your, you know, talent that you have and stay through the ball. Just trying to be as relaxed as I can and put a good spin on balls."

On growth so far…
"Yeah, well, you know, especially even in fall ball this level, it's just going to be where pitchers pitch you. And I've learned that. I've tried to learn that as quick as I can and shift my approach to the other way. And, you know, continuing to stay loose and see balls a little bit deeper has helped me with, not only fastballs, with off-speed as well."

Dominic Hellman

On aggressive approach today…
"It's all about just being through the middle. A huge part of what I worked on the past year was make sure my discipline was good, and I could actually see the ball and put some barrels to the ball. I feel like when my direction is going through the middle, I can see the pitches a lot better and recognize spin and recognize when I'm on time to a fastball. So, my whole goal is just to be on time to a fastball and recognize spin."

On second grand slam…
"I actually didn't even realize that the bases were loaded. I kind of just blanked and was like, 'Okay, well we got two outs. So just stay on the ball and try to extend the inning a lot longer', and we did extend it a lot longer."