by Ryan Oppenheimer
No. 17 Oregon baseball (23-9) finished their two game home series against the Sacramento State Hornets (15-20) with an 11-4 win Wednesday evening. It was a complete performance and a convincing win that made up for a disappointing loss the day prior.
Early Offense Sets the Tone
Oregon got out to a 4-0 lead after one inning — a lead they would never give up. It started with a Bennett Thompson RBI single, followed by a two-run homer from Jacob Walsh — now the program’s all-time home run king — and a Dominic Hellman solo shot. That inning was enough to knock Hornets starter Jaxon Byrd out of the game, but the barrage didn’t stop there. Walsh would hit another three-run bomb in the second inning to bring him to 5 RBI on the day and 12 home runs on the season.
The Ducks were kept off the board in innings 3 through 5, but Thompson would deliver in the sixth with a two-run homer. He took the day off from his usual catching duties but went 4-for-5 with 3 RBI as the designated hitter batting second in the lineup. His stellar performance marks the end of an unlucky stretch at the plate. An eighth-inning Maddox Molony RBI double and Bryce Boettcher put a cap on a dominant display of offense.
A Dazzling Starting Debut
The difference between Wednesday’s win and Tuesday’s loss was a vastly improved starting pitching effort. Sophomore lefty Ian Umlandt made his first career start for Oregon and he did not disappoint, going seven innings deep and striking out nine batters while walking one and allowing five hits. Three of his four earned runs came in a rough second inning that included a hit batter, a walk, an RBI double from Hornets catcher Elie Kligman, and two more scores on a groundout and single. Umlandt otherwise cruised and enjoyed a comfortable lead. He got sharper with time, racking up six of his nine strikeouts in innings 5 through 7, all of which were scoreless. Matthew Grabmann and Turner Spoljaric relieved Umlandt and didn’t allow any drama to happen.
Closing Thoughts
The Ducks took care of business after failing to on Tuesday and looked more like their usual selves. The offense showed it is talented enough to pull ahead and get production around the entire lineup, and looks to have tuned up nicely for the return to PAC-12 play. And if Umlandt can maintain even close to the strikeout rate he had in his first start, he will provide valuable pitching depth as a lefty whether he starts or comes out of the bullpen.
The Ducks continue a long 5-game week with a weekend home series against the USC Trojans (16-16, 9-5 PAC-12) starting Friday night. Oregon sits at 8-4 in conference play and third place in the PAC-12, while fourth-place USC follows close behind at 9-5.