EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon has been highly praised for its ability to keep its win streak alive throughout several points during the regular season, and the Ducks hoped to establish another win streak with their series against No. 19 Nebraska (26-8, 11-2) on Friday. But the real question was, could they do it? Especially with the predicted forecast being nothing but rain and gloomy clouds, a seemingly foreboding sign.
No. 21 Oregon (25-9, 9-4) faced back-to-back losses last week against Michigan and Portland. It was vital for the Ducks to start this series off with a win, as it could potentially keep Oregon in the top five for best starts through 36 games after having their nine-game win streak broken back in February.
The Ducks weren’t the only ones wanting to start off the weekend with a bang. The Cornhuskers also wanted to break their losing streak, albeit only one game. Getting a win in the first game of the weekend sets the mood for the rest of the series, and that’s something that both teams need.
Performances on both sides were lackluster as frustration brewed early on. No runs and no hits for nearly three straight innings will make any team desperate for action out on the field.
“This day was probably one of the more challenging ones we’ve had at PK Park,” head coach Mark Wasikowski said. “We were here for a long time. With the weather and training before the game, we had to fight through all of that and more to finish this game off.”
A glimmer of hope began to spark after the Ducks managed to get three straight outs in the top of the third. A dynamic double play from the first and second basemen, Brayden Jaska and Ryan Cooney, gave Oregon the first two outs before a strikeout ended the frame. But nothing came out of the bottom of the third as Nebraska got all three outs within minutes.
Designated hitter, Naulivou Lauaki Jr., seemed to have come in at the perfect time for the Ducks in the bottom of the fourth. He managed two balls before slamming one deep into left field, allowing Drew Smith and Burke-lee Mabeus to get two runs, and putting Oregon on the scoreboard at 2-1. This seemed to be the catalyst for the Ducks. Everything that followed seemed to have ignited a fire underneath Oregon
“I hit it, and I just assumed one of the outfielders would have caught it,” Lauaki said. “I checked again and saw the outfielder at the wall. I was surprised it went all the way to the wall, and I was like, ‘Oh, yeah!’”
With only the second base occupied by Jaska in the fifth, Smith walked up to bat. His first hit of the inning was a monumental home run that put Oregon at 4-2. This granted the Ducks some wiggle room.
Unfortunately, the game was paused at the bottom of the sixth due to a weather delay. Despite this, Oregon was able to hold its own and keep the momentum going. Upon starting back up the sixth, both Jaska and Cooney managed to slam two home runs, putting Oregon up 7-2, a huge moment for the Ducks.
The weather delay was much needed for the Ducks, allowing the players to recollect themselves and jump right back into the game.
“We weren’t controlling the ball real well at the end,” Wasikowski said. “We talked a lot about that. About what was going on in the eighth and how we weren’t pleased with that. But we were still able to navigate that through the end and come out with a victory, which is great.”
Despite Nebraska managing to get four runs in the eighth, the Ducks kept the Cornhuskers from scoring another run for the rest of the game, earning their first win in the series.
The weather delay Oregon faced didn’t seem to slow them down — instead, it gave the team a chance to reset and come back stronger, ultimately turning the momentum in their favor for a hard-fought victory. And, perhaps, disproved the foreboding omen of the forecast.
“We went over the first half of the game and debriefed all of it during the delay,” Smith said. “I think that kind of kept us all engaged, whereas we could’ve gone into the locker room and go on our phones and not do anything. We were able to keep up the energy and goof off after that.”
The Ducks hit the road to play Oregon State on April 14 at 6 p.m. PST.