Oregon opened their three-game series with Utah with a 6-2 victory at home on Friday night thanks to a huge game from starting pitcher and clean-up batter Kenyon Yovan. The Utes struck first in the series after an Oliver Dunn triple brought DaShawn Keirsey Jr., who had walked to start the inning, around in the third.The Ducks continued their dismal offensive performance that saw them lose 10-0  to Oregon State on Tuesday through the first three innings, including a third frame that saw Utah starter Tanner Thomas strike out the side. That ended in the bottom of the fourth, when Yovan took matters into his own hands and crushed a two-run home-run over the left field wall to give Oregon the 2-1 lead. Jakob Goldfarb drew a bases-loaded walk later in the inning to push the lead to 3-1 and the Ducks would make Thomas’s outing difficult the rest of the way, finally forcing Utah to make a change to Jacob Rebar in the sixth, where the Ducks would add another run thanks to a RBI sacrifice bunt from Kyle Kasser to make it 4-1. Yovan didn’t need much help, though, pitching seven full innings and giving up just two runs on six hits to go with a solid 2-4 night at the plate before being relieved by Parker Kelly. Though they didn’t need them, Oregon got two insurance runs in the eighth thanks to Jonny DeLuca’s fifth home-run of the season. With a 6-2 lead, Kelly finished off Utah in the ninth to give Oregon the series-opening win. The Ducks and Utes meet again Saturday at 2 p.m. in Eugene for game two.

Game Story (by Alex Castle)

Postgame Interviews

Head Coach George Horton

Pitcher Kenyon Yovan