EUGENE — The big blow in Oregon’s 10-1 non-conference victory Wednesday over visiting Portland was a seventh-inning grand slam by senior Steven Packard.
But perhaps more encouraging as the Ducks move forward — most immediately, a three-game series with No. 9 Cal at PK Park beginning Friday — were smaller details. Little plays that hinted at a turning of the corner by a UO team spinning its wheels through a tough early spring stretch.
Take, for example, a slash play in the first inning Wednesday night. Austin Grebeck led off the bottom of the first with a walk. Up came one of the Ducks’ lone offensive bright spots the last few weeks, Kyle Kasser. He hinted at a sacrifice, then slashed a single up the middle, moving Grebeck to third.
Both runners would eventually score, as part of a three-run first inning that sparked the Ducks’ biggest offensive outburst in more than a month. But as Oregon (12-11) transitions back into Pac-12 play, in which runs come at a premium, that level of execution becomes even more crucial.
“We worked yesterday on that, and we did it for an entire hour,” catcher Tim Susnara said. “That just shows that it’s paying off.”
The Ducks put together as complete a game as they have all season to beat the Pilots (13-16). Eight UO pitchers — including Saturday starter Matt Krook and closer Stephen Nogosek, in need of work after two cancelled games this past weekend — combined to allow just five hits, and struck out 16 while walking just one.
At the plate, UO hitters put up 10 runs with the aid of just two extra-base hits. Kasser, who came in hitting an even .400, added two sacrifice hits to go along with his first-inning single, as the Ducks manufactured runs early. And then Packard came through with his grand slam in the seventh, a nice piece of two-out hitting.
“I think that can definitely get us going,” Packard said. “Confidence is huge, and with the kind of confidence we had tonight, we roll that into the weekend and we’ll do awesome.”
The Ducks could use the boost. They began the season 8-2, moving into the top 10 nationally. What followed was a 3-9 stretch, including a 2-4 start to Pac-12 play. Oregon entered Wednesday hitting .209, last in the conference.
California, meanwhile, is 17-6 overall and 6-2 in the Pac-12. The Golden Bears are the only team in the top four of the conference in both ERA (2.96) and batting average (.293).
“Cal’s playing awfully well,” UO coach George Horton said after Wednesday’s win over Portland. “They’ve got good pitching. We need to get back on the winning track in the Pac, whether it’s against them or anyone else. Hopefully this is something we can sustain; let’s start with two in a row on Friday.”
Following the series against the Golden Bears, Oregon has another midweek game against Portland next Wednesday. Then, the Ducks face USC, UCLA and Washington State later in April; none of the three is above .500 in conference play at this point, a few weeks into Pac-12 play.
So the door remains open for the Ducks to make a turnaround. Oregon’s hitters enter the Cal series with some confidence thanks to Wednesday’s outburst. And the pitching staff could get a jolt from the return of Sunday starter David Peterson, who didn’t travel to Michigan State last week due to injury but may pitch this weekend if he gets through a bullpen session Friday without any issues.
“Certainly we didn’t get off to the kind of start we wanted,” Horton said. “But I think the conference race is still out there for somebody — including us, if we start playing better baseball.”
– By Rob Moseley, GoDucks.com
