Authored by: Addison Cerezo; Photo Credit: Wilder Lewis
The No. 15 Oregon Ducks baseball team (22-8, 10-4 Big Ten) had another huge day at the plate against the Michigan Wolverines (16-14, 7-7 Big Ten) on Saturday. The Ducks won 13-3 as Jacob Walsh broke the program RBI record and the bullpen shined after an up-and-down start from Jason Reitz.
Oregon walked thirteen times, including five times in a four-run fifth inning, which proved to be the deciding inning in the ballgame. Junior outfielder Mason Neville picked up four walks, after all of which he came around to score.
“They took their walks when they were available,” said head coach Mark Wasikowski, now in his fifth year as head coach at Oregon. “There were some pitches that were close, that they had good eyes on, but that sets the table for hits.”
The Ducks had nine hits on Saturday, but none was bigger than senior first baseman Jacob Walsh’s two-run home run in the sixth inning. With the long ball, Walsh moved into first place on Oregon’s all-time RBI leaderboard.
“Just playing ball, having fun,” said the ever-humble Walsh. “If records come, they come, but we got a good win today.”
The Ducks came into today feeling good after their win over Michigan yesterday, taking Friday’s game 15-2 to snap a 3-game losing streak to the Ohio State Buckeyes and Portland Pilots. Junior infielder Dominic Hellman put Game 1 in his back pocket when he hit a grand slam in the fifth inning.
Junior swingman Jason Reitz got the start on Saturday and faced Dylan Vigue of Michigan. Both starters allowed a pair of baserunners in the first inning, but only Oregon was able to score due to an inning-ending double play courtesy of the Oregon infield. Junior catcher and left-fielder Anson Aroz, who had homered in five straight contests, smacked a ground-rule double to score Neville and senior outfielder Jeffery Heard with two outs.
Come the top of the fourth, the game was still 2-0 in Oregon’s favor. But Reitz, who had been sharp since allowing those two baserunners in the first, hit Brayden Jefferis to lead the inning off before Cole Caruso walloped a two-run home run to tie up the ballgame.
Reitz allowed four hits, three runs, and four walks while striking out four in 4⅔ innings during his longest outing of the year. Reitz’s day was finished after issuing two of his four free passes in the top of the fifth inning. Sophomore reliever Ryan Featherston came on following Reitz’s departure and promptly gave up a single to Brayden Jefferis to give the Wolverines a 3-2 lead.
Oregon did not take kindly to the lead change, however, drawing five walks in a four-run bottom of the fifth inning. The big blow came when sophomore shortstop and hometown kid Maddox Molony put a ball through the left side, which scored Heard and junior catcher Chase Meggers to make the score 6-3. In response, Michigan put in their third pitcher of the inning, who got out of it, but not before a bases-loaded walk to sophomore second baseman Ryan Cooney put another tally on the scoreboard.
In the sixth, Walsh hit the massive home run that gave him the RBI record, and Meggers played small ball when he doubled down the right field line, then advanced to third and home on two wild pitches.
In the seventh, senior reliever Seth Mattox did his thing, working around a one-out walk, while the lineup continued to mash Michigan’s pitching. Two more walks and a bunt single from Jeffery Heard loaded the bases for new RBI king Jacob Walsh, who promptly singled through the right side to extend both the lead and his record. Heard would also come around to score on a sacrifice fly from Meggers.
In the eighth, Mattox shut Michigan down in order. The offense cooled a little, but Cooney singled with one out, stole second, advanced to third on a sacrifice fly from junior infielder Carter Garate, and scored to force the run rule and end the game.
Top offensive performers include Walsh, who finished 2-3 with four RBI and two walks, and Neville, who walked and scored four times. On the pitching side, Reitz looked great for flashes in his fourth start, while Mattox was lights out from the bullpen, recording seven outs while allowing just one baserunner.
Michigan’s pitching struggled mightily on Saturday, but that’s not to take any of the spotlight from the stellar Oregon offense. Run-ruling Michigan for the second day in a row, the Ducks continued to mash Michigan’s pitching while stifling the Wolverine offense.
The Ducks go for the series sweep tomorrow at 12:05 p.m. at PK Park.