After losing the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader, 10-2, Seattle University depended on its bullpen to stay close in game two, but nationally-ranked Oregon was able to scratch out a run late in the nightcap for a 4-3 victory at PK Park.
Chase Fields (Ontario, Ore.) drew a walk to leadoff the first game and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Landon Cray (Chimacum, Wash.). With two outs, Brian Olson (Black Diamond, Wash.) hit a grounder right up the middle into center field for a single, driving in Fields.
Oregon (10-3) answered in the bottom of the first when Aaron Payne led off with a walk, stole second base, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on an infield single by Tyler Baumgartner. Mitchell Tolman walked to put runners on first and second, but Seattle U starter Connor Moore (West Richland, Wash.) induced a double-play groundout to end the Duck threat.
Austin Grebeck led off the bottom of the third inning with a double and scored on a Redhawk throwing error that allowed Baumgartner to reach second base. Tolman sent a single into left field, and then Moore committed a balk that allowed Baumgartner to score. The Ducks added another run in the fourth when Mark Karaviotis reached second base on an error and scored on a ground-rule double by Baumgartner.
After Seattle U earned just one run on two hits and one walk in six innings off Oregon starter Jeff Gold, Cullen Hendrickson (Auburn, Wash.) greeted reliever Trent Paddon with a double to right-center field, followed by a single by Brock Carpenter (Milton, Wash.). Grant Newton (Bend, Ore.) drove in Hendrickson with a sacrifice fly to left field, but the Redhawks could not get any more runs in the seventh inning.
Austin Hansen (Mukilteo, Wash.) came on in relief of Moore in the bottom of the seventh, but he gave up a triple to Baumgartner, a walk to Tolman, and a single to Kyle Garlick that drove in Baumgartner. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, and then A.J. Balta drew a walk that loaded the bases with nobody out and ended the day for Hansen.
Carpenter moved from third base to the pitching mound, but he hit pinch hitter J.B. Bryant with a pitch, forcing Tolman in with another Oregon run. Steven Packard came on as a pinch hitter and singled to right field, driving in Garlick, and Balta would score on a balk. Payne drove in pinch runner Nick Catalano with a single to right field, and he would score on a double to left field by Grebeck.
The Ducks jumped on the board in the first inning of game two, as Grebeck drew a one-out walk and advanced to third on a single by Baumgartner. Tolman drove in both runners with a triple down the right field line, and he would score on a single to center field by Garlick.
The Redhawks responded in the second inning as Olson, Hendrickson, and Newton collected consecutive singles to load the bases with nobody out. A sacrifice fly to right field hit by Colin Peterson (Bellingham, Wash.) scored Olson and advanced Hendrickson to third, and he would come in to score on a sacrifice fly to left field by Sam Finfer (Bellevue, Wash.).
In the top of the fifth inning, Finfer singled, advanced to second on a passed ball, reached third when the Ducks made an error on a sacrifice bunt by Eric Koenig (Auburn, Wash.), and scored the tying run on a fielder’s choice ground ball hit by Fields. Cray followed with a bunt single, and a bad throw from Oregon reliever Jordan Spencer allowed the runners to advance to second and third with just one out. However, Spencer picked up a strikeout and a groundout to end the Redhawk threat with the score tied 3-3.
Oregon had a chance to retake the lead in the bottom of the fifth, as Tolman walked, Garlick reached base on a Redhawk error, and Jack Kruger walked to load the bases with two outs. Seattle U pitcher Garrett Anderson (Kennewick, Wash.), on in relief of starter Skyler Genger (Kent, Wash.), forced Packard to foul out to end the Ducks’ scoring chance.
After Genger allowed three runs in the first inning, Anderson and Grant Gunning (Snohomish, Wash.) combined for 5 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, allowing the Redhawks to keep the game tied. Will Dennis (Saratoga, Calif.) came on in the seventh inning and kept the Ducks from scoring even with runners on first and third.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, with Dennis still on the mound, Karaviotis led off with a bunt single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Payne, and would come around to score on a two-out single up the middle by Baumgartner. Jake Reed retired the Redhawks in order in the top of the ninth to earn the victory and complete the doubleheader sweep for the Ducks.
Seattle U was held to four hits in the first game before earning seven hits in the nightcap, led by Cray and Newton with two hits apiece. Oregon finished with 22 hits in the two games, led by a 6-for-10 performance by Baumgartner. The Ducks also drew 13 walks during the day and were able to complete the sweep despite leaving 20 runners on base in the two games combined.
Seattle University (5-8) opens its home schedule Friday, March 7, against nationally-ranked Cal Poly starting at 4 p.m. at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue. The Redhawks and Mustangs are also scheduled to play Saturday, March 8, at 1 p.m. and Sunday, March 9, at 12 noon.