GAME 2 - 247 SPORTS: Yovan and Matthews power No. 16 Oregon over ASU (1 photo, article)
Yovan and Matthews power No. 16 Oregon over ASU
In front of 203 family and friends of the Oregon baseball program at PK Park, the newly implemented crowd saw Oregon ride the dominant right arm of Cullen Kafka to a dominant 7-1 win over ASU.Friday night’s contest turned in a less than satisfactory offensive effort. After scoring three runs in the first innings, the Ducks were held silent for the rest of the night, falling 6-3 to the Sun Devils.
What started as a pitching duel ended as the rain began during the third inning. Following two straight outs, a strikeout, and Gavin Grant caught in a rundown. Tanner Smith hit a single off the first baseman’s glove, ricocheting down the line, and as Grant hesitated in his baserunning endeavors, Smith scampered his way to second.
The rain continued to pour, but Kenyon Yovan stepped up to the plate and unleashed a home run swing, resulting in strike one of the at-bat. Yovan struck out in his first plate appearance but had no issues in his second ab locating what ASU starter Tyler Thornton was throwing.
His second swing of the at-bat was just as violent, this time making contact with a low fastball, as Yovan golfed his sixth home run of the season over the left-field fence.
Oregon wasn’t done on offense, as the next time Yovan came up through the order, he took a four-pitch walk to put a runner on with no one out. Gabe Matthews stepped up to the plate and wasted no time, hitting a lined shot over the 400ft marker on the center-field fence, giving the Ducks their second two-run home run of the contest.
Matthews’ home run was his first season, a much-needed injection into the Ducks’ offense. Matthews had been heating up of late, and he’s now hitting just below .300 this season. Aaron Zavala is punching well above .300 this season, as his offensive night showcases why he does the little things so well. Zavala drew three walks on the night, just one day after going 4-4.
Sam Novitske added two runs in the eighth inning, singling down the third-base line, driving home Matthews and Zavala to up the Oregon lead to 7-0.
While Oregon’s offense indeed came to play on Saturday, it was Cullen Kafka’s day on the mound that gave Oregon the easy win. Kafka was marvelous Saturday, throwing seven scoreless innings, allowing four hits, not walking a single batter, and setting a career-high in strikeouts with 11.
The second inning was the turning point for Kafka, who struggled to find his command for the inning’s first two batters. Back-to-back hits, with a perfectly executed hit-and-run, gave ASU runners on the corners. Kafka settled down on the mound, finding his slider, and striking out the next two batters on essentially identical pitches.
Kafka’s slider was a masterpiece against ASU, primarily locating it on the backfoot of lefty batters, looking like a low and in fastball (a lefties bread and butter) before diving underneath their bat.
Kafka got out of the second inning, and that was the last scoring opportunity ASU would have.
From the third inning on, Kafka faced the inning minimum in four of the final five frames, inducing weak contact or striking a batter out. At one point, Kafka struck out eight of 11 batters, seven swinging. Kafka’s effort rivals Robby Ahlstrom’s effort against Oregon State the previous series as the best outing by a Duck this year.
The defense certainly helped Kafka at points, turning multiple double plays, as Josh Kasevich and Novitske locked the left-side of the infield down. Kasevich accounted for six outs by himself, as Novitske matched him with six outs, including a double play. Oregon sits second in the country in fielding percentage at .995, committing just two errors on the season.
ASU’s excursion to Eugene ends tomorrow, with game three scheduled to start at noon PST. Oregon’s Brett Walker will get the start, as ASU has yet to announce their starter.
