EUGENE, Ore – It was only the bottom of the second inning at PK Park, but the score was even at three and Oregon was looking to blow the game wide open.
The bases were loaded, and designated hitter Dominic Hellman stepped up to bat. It had been a quiet season for him, as he only had two RBI and no home runs, but Hellman wanted that to change. On the very first pitch with the bases loaded, he swung and connected. Hellman smashed it over the left field wall –a grand slam. This burst of energy got the Ducks (7-2) to rally and fueled them for the rest of the game.
Oregon head coach Mark Wasikowski said things like this were nothing new for Hellman. “Two grand slams for a guy like Dom,” Wasikowski said, “I’m not surprised, because of what we’ve been seeing in practice.”
Those four runs were just one-fifth of Oregon's twenty total and only half of Hellman's RBI, as he connected for another grand slam in the seventh inning.
“My whole goal is to be on time to a fastball and recognize spin,” Hellman said, “and that’s exactly what I did.”
Oregon came into this game 6-2 after winning its last three against Rhode Island. Those wins may have been the fire the Ducks needed as they took the first one of this four-game series against the Columbia Lions (1-3) and kept their winning streak alive. The game started slowly as there was only one single between the teams in the first inning but it quickly picked up in the second. Oregon starting pitcher Grayson Grinsell seemed to struggle in the top of the second as he gave up a few singles and a homer to Columbia’s Jack Kail to give the Lions three runs, but he finally got out of it after a Griffin Palfrey pop-out to right field.
Oregon knew it was time to make a run, so that’s exactly what it did. Center fielder Anson Aroz and shortstop Maddox Malony started the inning off strong with singles and gave Oregon a great position with runners on first and third with no outs. Catcher Burke-Lee Mabeus capitalized on this, knocking in a run with a double off the wall. Left fielder Jack Brooks was next up to bat and drew a walk, which loaded the bases. Similarly, second baseman Ryan Cooney got hit by a pitch and picked up an RBI. Carter Garate also got an RBI and tied the game after Columbia's defense lost his pop-up in the sun. After Lions starter Alex Sotiropoulos finally got a strikeout, Hellman’s grand slam followed. Oregon got one more single from Jacob Walsh, but Columbia finally ended the inning with a 7-3 Oregon lead.
Nothing was going Columbia’s way in the third inning as the Lions went three up and three down, thanks to an inning-ending spectacular catch from Aroz, who made his first collegiate start in center.
The Ducks weren’t done yet in the third as leadoff hitter Mabeus hit a perfect drag bunt which led to a bad throw putting him on second. A ground out from Brooks pushed Mabeus to third and a Cooney single brought him home. The inning ended on a double play when Carter Garate struck out and Cooney was caught stealing by Columbia catcher Owen Estabrook as he tried to steal second.
The fourth inning was a little better for Columbia when Skye Selinsky led off with a double and Jack Kail beat out a throw for a single to put runners on first and third. Estabrook couldn’t keep it going as he hit into a double play, but Skye Selinsky was still able to score from third base.
Oregon started its part of the inning off with a bang, Jeffery Heard hit a leadoff home run and Hellman was hit by a pitch and sent to first. Columbia got its first out from a fly ball to right field, but the bases were quickly loaded when Anson Aroz hit a single, and Maddox Malony was hit by a pitch.
With seven batters hit by pitches on the day, Wasikowski was pleased with that outcome. “Getting’ dosed and taking your hit by pitches instead of jumping out of the way.”
Mabeus followed and didn’t disappoint, smashing a double to right field that brought in two more runs. A Brooks ground out followed this but it was enough still to bring in another run. A wild pitch on the eight-spot hitter Ryan Cooney cleared the bases, and Cooney then shot a double to right-center field. At the end of the fourth inning, Oregon led 13- to 4
The sixth was much more productive for Columbia. Jack Kail hit an RBI double that sent in Selinsky from first. Estabrook then cleared the bases with a two-run shot, his second of the game, but the inning ended when Brewer and Palfrey grounded out.
A seventh-inning double from Lazits and walks from the sixth- and seventh-hole hitters set up a bases-loaded situation. Jack Kail hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield and Estabrook cleared the bases with a three-run homer to straight away centerfield.
In the bottom of the seventh, Oregon was able to load the bases with Cooney, Garate, and Heard. The next man to the plate was Hellman, who blasted another grand slam and pushed across Oregon’s 19th runs.
“That was unreal,” Mabeus said.
A comeback wasn’t in the cards for Columbia today, as the Lions quietly went out in the ninth inning. Oregon won, 20-11.
Next up, Oregon stays home for the weekend where it hosts a doubleheader against Columbia tomorrow morning and plays their last game of the series on Sunday at noon.