GAME 3 (DH): Oregon (17) @ #7 UC Santa Barbara (2) - (5 photos, 3 videos, GoDucks.com article)
03/06/2021 - GAME 2 of DH
Here's the lineup for game two as Oregon looks to clinch the series. #GoDucks
Boom!!!! Yovan with the second homer of the day. The Ducks have scored 7 in the second and are still batting. #GoDucks
Oregon 7, UCSB 1
T6 | BOOM.... AGAIN.... Yovan a two-run shot over the scoreboard in LF. #GoDucks Oregon 14, UCSB 1
Here's the final from game two. After rallying for the win in the first game of the doubleheader, jumped on the Gauchos early in game two and never let up. #GoDucks
Here is the line score from game two of the double header.
@kenyonyovan21 (3-for-5, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R)
@Zavala11Aaron (2-for-2, HR, 3 RBI, 3 R, 3 BB)
Good day to be a Duck with a pair of wins against a highly-ranked ball club.
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Ducks sweep UC Santa Barbara in doubleheader
GOLETA, Calif. – It took a while, but once Oregon got the bats going against UC Santa Barbara on Saturday they could not be stopped in a doubleheader sweep of the Gauchos.Oregon (5-2) rallied from a four-run deficit in game one scoring five runs in the final two innings for a 5-4 win and then unloaded on UCSB (6-4) in game two scoring eight runs in the second and 14 runs in the first six innings en route to a 17-2 victory.
As a team, Oregon batted .356 (25-of-73) in the doubleheader sweep with four home runs, three doubles and 17 RBI. Ducks' designated hitter Kenyon Yovan went 5-for-9 (.556) with three home runs, nine RBI and four run scored in the two games. Right-fielder Aaron Zavala batted 4-for-5 (.800) with a home run, four walks, a hit-by-pitch and a .900 on-base percentage in the wins. Third baseman Sam Novitske reached base six times (two hits, three walks, one HBP) in seven plate appearances, while seven Ducks scored multiple runs in the two games.
On the mound, Oregon's pitchers combined for a 3.00 ERA allowing just six runs in 18 innings while fanning 19 and walking seven. UCSB, who entered the weekend ranked as high as No. 7 in the polls, batted just .239 in the doubleheader, while Oregon's two starters – Cullen Kafka and Brett Walker – combined to allow just two runs in 11 innings with 10 strikeouts and two walks.
Game 1: Oregon 5, UC Santa Barbara 4
UC Santa Barbara built a 4-0 lead through seven innings, but for the second-straight game Oregon battled back from a four-run deficit with late-inning clutch hitting to win the game.
How It Happened: UCSB scored a run in the first, two in the sixth and another in the seventh and looked to be in control heading into the eighth inning, but for the second straight day the Ducks were able to get to the Gauchos bullpen.
Pinch-hitter Tristan Hanoian sparked a four-run rally in the eighth to tie the game. The Ducks' infielder singled and moved to second on a Tanner Smith walk to set the table for Yovan, who responded with a three-run home run to slice the Gauchos lead to a run.
Gabe Matthews followed the dinger with a walk, moved to second when Zavala was hit by a pitch and scored on a throwing error on a Josh Kasevich sacrifice bunt to tie the game.
In the bottom of the eighth, Hunter Breault (1-0) relieved freshman Rio Britton, who retired the only batter he faced in the seventh inning, and held the Gauchos scoreless giving Oregon a chance to take its first lead of the game in the ninth.
Oregon responded again. Novitske, who entered the game in the top of the seventh after Oregon pinch ran for Nick Bellafronto the previous inning, led off the ninth with a single and moved to second on a Hanoian sacrifice bunt. After Smith walked to put runners on first and second, Yovan pushed a ball through the right side of the infield scoring Novitske to give Oregon its first lead of the day.
Kolby Somers made the run stand up when he came in and nailed down his second save in as many games by retiring three of the four batters he faced.
Inside the Box Score: Bellafronto committed Oregon's first error of the season in the second inning, snapping a 46-inning streak without an error to begin the season … Kafka has fanned 13 batters in nine innings pitched this season … Breault picked up his fourth career win, while Somers had his third career save … Yovan went 2-for-5 with four RBI in just his second game of the season … Zavala was 2-for-3 giving him three multi-hit games in 2021 heading into the second game of the doubleheader.
Beyond The Box Score: Mark Wasikowski won his 100th career game as a collegiate head coach in the Ducks win in game one … He had 87 wins during his three years at Purdue and has 14 wins (counting game two of the doubleheader) as the skipper of the Ducks … True freshmen Jack Haley and Josiah Cromwick made their Duck debuts in the win.
Game 2: Oregon 17, UC Santa Barbara 2
After scoring just one run in the first six innings of game one of the series and no runs in the first seven innings of game two, Oregon wasted little time putting up big numbers in a series-clinching win.
After a 1-2-3 first inning and allowing a first-inning run to fall behind for the third time in the series, Oregon put eight on the board in the second inning to take control of the game. The Ducks would add runs in the next four innings, including two in both the fifth and sixth, to build a 14-1 lead. The Ducks finished with runs in the eighth and ninth innings to finish strong.
How It Happened: Back-to-back walks and a Novitske RBI single put the Ducks on the board in the second tying the game at one. Oregon would take the lead for good when Kasevich scored from second when USCB pitcher Rodney Boone committed an error on a ball hit by Cromwick.
Gavin Grant drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1 before Smith roped a run-scoring triple four a three-run lead. Yovan did not let it stay that way long, thanks to a two-run home run to push the lead to 6-1. Matthews singled to restart the inning after the home, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a Zavala RBI single. Kasevich plated Zavala, who stole second to get into scoring position, to cap the eight-run inning.
Oregon added to the lead with single runs in the third and fourth innings. Smith scored Bryce Boettcher with a sacrifice fly in the third, while Zavala pounded a solo home run in the fourth for a 10-1 lead.
The Ducks put two more on the board in both the fifth and sixth innings. Smith scored on a wild pitch to make it 11-1 in the fifth and Yovan picked up a RBI on a sacrifice fly in the fifth.
In the sixth, Cromwick reached with a base hit and the Yovan drove him in with his second homer of the game and third of the day.
Yovan scored on a throwing error on a Matthews double in the eighth, while Novitske scored on a UCSB error in the ninth and Sam Olsson drove in the final run.
Inside the Box Score: Eight Ducks had multiple hits, three had multi-RBI games and nine scored a run with six players scoring multiple runs … Yovan went 3-for-4 with five RBI and three runs scored … Zavala went 2-for-2 with two RBI and two runs scored and reached base five times (two hits, 3 walks) … Novitske reached base three five times with three walks, a hit and a HBP … Cromwick recorded his first hit (2-for-6, 2 runs) in his first career start … RJ Gordon fanned five in two innings of relief … Walker picked up the win allowing just one run on seven hits with three Ks in 6.0 innings.
Beyond The Box Score: Oregon's 17 runs were the most by a Ducks' team since April 12, 2019 when Oregon won 21-3 at Washington State … Nineteen players appeared in the game … Gordon and Brayden Spears made their Duck debuts.
Waz Said It: "We had a very good day. Loved the two wins. The first one, boy we got kind of stymied there throughout the whole game. We were able to get a four in one inning there late in the ballgame, and win that ballgame 5-4. That was a big deal. Then in the second ballgame, to be able to come out and get an eight in the second inning right out of the shoot. I don't know if we have had too many athletes have a nine-RBI day like Kenyon Yovan had today. It was a really special day for him. It was exciting to see a wide scale of good performances, all the way through the starting performances of Cullen Kafka and Brett Walker, all the way through the pitching. RJ Gordon getting his toes out there for the first time. It was a good day and we are looking forward to tomorrow."
On Deck: Oregon will send Robert Ahlstrom to the mound looking for the four-game sweep Sunday at 12 p.m. Ahlstrom is making his first appearance of the season.
