In the bottom of the third inning of Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader, the No. 11 Oregon Ducks (8-2) were already up big on the unranked Columbia Lions (1-4), leading 12-1 early. Sophomore second baseman Ryan Cooney was at the plate with two runners on. He had been struggling up to this point of the season, being one of the few Ducks hitters that hadn't broken out yet.
Cooney got ahead in the count 1-0, then took advantage of the Lions pitcher hanging one over the plate by demolishing it to left-center field for his first homer of the season.
This made it 15-1 Oregon, and it wasn’t even half of what the Ducks would end up with. The final tallied up to a 35-1 victory in favor of Oregon, making it five in a row and win number eight on the year.
The offense was headlined by Cooney that game, going 4-for-4 with a double, the homer and six RBI.
Junior starting pitcher Jason Reitz also had his best outing of the season, going four innings while giving up three hits, one run, two walks and six strikeouts.
Oregon was coming off another impressive offensive outing from the day before where it took the series opener 20-11 against Columbia. This time, the defense complimented that offense more, giving up 10 fewer runs.
The game started off with impressive stuff from Reitz, who struck out two and worked around a walk to put up a zero to start his day.
The Ducks kept the vibes going from a day before as junior center fielder Mason Neville ripped a double to lead off the Oregon offense. Neville was able to advance to third due to a wild pitch before senior first baseman Jacob Walsh drove him in with a single and it was 1-0 Oregon before an out was recorded.
Junior designated hitter Dominic Hellman was plunked before Walsh, and advanced to third after left fielder Anson Aroz walked. Sophomore shortstop Maddox Molony knocked in Hellman from a sac-fly, but that’s all Oregon would get in the first as they led 2-0 after one.
The second inning was the only time Columbia scored in the game. Jack Kail doubled to keep up his efforts from the day before and advanced to third after a single. Anthony Temesvary then put one deep enough to sac-fly Kail home, but that’s all the Lions would get.
A sigh of relief came for Oregon in the second as Cooney ended his cold streak and singled to lead off the inning. Junior third baseman Carter Garate got hit by a pitch and Hellman got on with the same result to load the bases. The Ducks got some free runs after Walsh and Aroz walked to make it 4-0. Freshman phenom catcher Burke-Lee Mabeus then stepped up and smoked a two-RBI double that brought Walsh and Hellman home. After the second was over, it was 6-1 Oregon.
The bottom of the third was the Ducks’ biggest inning of the day, putting up nine runs. The bases were quickly loaded after a hit by pitch and two walks. A fielder's choice scored one after Hellman put one into play, and another came around to score when sloppy Lions fielding let Garate in from third. Walsh then ran out a grounder to avoid a double-play that put runners on the corners. Aroz smoked one up the middle that brought Neville home from third, and Molony followed with a double that scored Walsh.
Mabeus wanted to get back into the fun as he singled and scored Aroz. Senior right fielder Jeffrey Heard got his first action of the day with a near identical infield single to Mabeus that scored Molony. After that, everyone came home when Cooney cleared the bases with a three- run homer.
That was it for the third. When fans at PK Park unglued their eyes from the field and to the scoreboard, they saw a 15-1 lead for the Ducks.
Molony continued his early season heroics with a two-run nuke after Walsh reached. Two more walks and a single reloaded the bases, and another freebie came across when Garate took one to the body. That’s all Oregon got and it was 18-1 going into the fifth.
Oregon made some defensive changes as players moved around and freshman reliever Michael Meckna came in for Reitz. He kept up Retiz’s efforts though, putting up a zero after a clean double-play shut down the Lions single.
More poor fielding from Columbia put a runner on first and second for the Ducks, and who else but Molony took advantage by crushing one to left-center. This gave Molony his second homer in two innings. After the fifth, it was 21-1 Oregon.
The sixth was another huge inning for Oregon. The bases were quickly reloaded and Hellman flew out but one came through off the sac-fly. Walsh then brought everyone home with an opposite-field three-run jack. A single and a walk put runners right back on first and second before pinch hitter Jack Brooks drove in Aroz from second with a single.
Cooney kept his perfect day going with a two RBI double. Garate took inspiration from this by doubling himself, which scored Cooney.
The seventh was another zero from Columbia and the only zero of the game for Oregon. This was Meckna’s last inning of work, as he continues his strong start to the season.
Freshman reliever Tanner Bradley stepped in for Meckna in the eighth, and continued the strong defensive efforts with another zero and one strikeout.
Oregon’s last runs of the game came in the eighth, where the first two runners reached and another Lion's error loaded the bases. Another sac-fly run came in thanks to Cooney, and Garate followed him again by doubling and sending in two more. Freshman left fielder Jax Gimenez kept the line moving by getting on second and advancing Garate to third, and Hellman slapped them both in with a single. Freshman right fielder Coen Niclai doubled to put runners right back on second and third. That set the table for the final run of the game as freshman pinch hitter Tyler Jones flew out and scored Hellman from third.
Columbia picked up a walk in the ninth but didn’t do anything with it. When the dust settled, Oregon took the win with a final score of 35-1, a program record for runs in a single game for Oregon.
The Ducks will get another crack at the Lions in Game 2 of this doubleheader on Saturday, Mar. 1 with a 3:10 p.m. first pitch. Collin Clarke will take the mound for Oregon as it looks to push the win streak out to six.