On a rainy, frigid and windy Saturday afternoon at PK Park, the Oregon Ducks (17-3, 5-0 Big Ten) were up 4-2 in the bottom of the ninth against the Minnesota Golden Gophers (7-10, 1-4 Big Ten).
Despite the defensive dominance from Oregon, the Gophers had the tying run at the plate and a runner on first. Sophomore right-handed reliever Ryan Featherston was on the hill for the Ducks with only one out.
Featherston got ahead in the count 0-2, but Minnesota senior third baseman Jake Perry worked back in to make it 2-2. On the next pitch, Perry rolled over to second. It was an ideal double play ball for sophomore Ryan Cooney, but Gophers junior first baseman Jake Elbeery barreled into Cooney in an attempt to break up the play. Cooney stayed resilient, though, as he made the tag, bounced off of Elbeery and fired it over to first to complete the double play and cap off a 4-2 Ducks win and series win.
Cooney had an error in a similar situation in the third inning, but made up for it with that play.
“He was resilient,” said Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski. “I think it was really challenging earlier in the game when all that stuff was going on and I thought Ryan’s toughness to be able to do what he did as the game progressed, he was a critical piece to the win.”
Junior center fielder Mason Neville led the charge for the Oregon offense today, going 1-2 with two RBIs.
The Ducks entered this game coming off a 5-2 win against the same Gophers the day before. That game featured similar great defense in slow offense as the weather continues to freeze the bats of Oregon and their opponents.
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Collin Clarke was on the mound for Oregon with an 11:05 a.m. first pitch.
In unfamiliar fashion for this Oregon team, its opponent struck first. In the top of the third inning, junior catcher Sam Hunt singled and, a batter later, sophomore shortstop Jack Spanier walked. This action was nearly wiped out when sophomore right fielder Brayden Hellum rolled into a double play opportunity, but Cooney threw it over the head of senior first baseman Jacob Walsh and Hunt came around to score from second.
Oregon responded to this at the bottom of the fifth inning. Cooney led off and reached due to an error. Junior third baseman Carter Garate doubled to move Cooney to third, and Neville got a hold of one enough to sac-fly Cooney home.
The Ducks would finally break through and grab a lead in the bottom of the seventh. Senior right fielder Jeffrey Heard got the party started with a double to left field, and Cooney rewarded his efforts with a double of his own that plated Cooney.
“I’ve matured my approach overall, also physically matured as well,” Cooney said. “It’s mostly an approach thing. I’m not swinging at a ton of bad pitches like I did last year.”
A Garate sac-bunt moved Cooney to third and that small ball from the Ducks paid off when Neville singled to drive him home.
At the top of the eighth, Clarke was pulled from Featherston. Clarke finished with seven innings pitched, three hits, zero earned runs, three walks and eight strikeouts. The innings pitched and strikeouts both tied a career high.
“It was good. I felt good out there,” Clarke said.
The change up was a key pitch for Clarke in his Saturday outing, complimenting his fastball and confusing batters when the ball leaves his hand.
“I’ve always thrown a changeup, since I was little. I used to be fastball changeup out in travel ball, elementary school and middle school. I’m just always developing that,” Clarke said.
Oregon tacked on an insurance run at the bottom of the eighth when Walsh walked, junior left fielder Anson Aroz singled and freshman pinch hitter Coen Niclai walked to load the bases. Cooney then worked four straight balls to let in a free run, and it was 4-1 Ducks.
Like the day before, the Gophers made it interesting in the ninth. Hellum doubled and moved to third off a fielder's choice. He was driven in by Elbeery off a single and the tying run came to the plate before Cooney slammed the door with the smooth double play.
Featherston had one of his cleaner statlines of the season so far to put a cap on Clarke’s performance. Featherston finished with two innings pitched, two hits, one earned run and one strikeout.
Oregon looks for the series sweep against the Golden Gophers on Sunday, Mar. 16 at 12:05 p.m.