Ducks Digest

Oregon Bats Explode in Ducks' win Over Central Connecticut State in Eugene Regional

The Ducks held on for a 13-10 win in a game that turned into a slugfest.

Max Torres

23 combined runs on 29 combined hits.

Those are just some of the numbers that stick out from Oregon's 13-10 win in the first game of the Eugene Regional against Central Connecticut State.Kenyon Yovan and Anthony Hall had the hot bats for the Ducks on Friday afternoon, each slugging a pair of home runs.

Yovan got the party started early, blasting a two-run home run to left center off of Blue Devils starting pitcher Brandon Fox, marking his fifteenth on the year, breaking  the previous record for home runs in a season.

It didn't take long for Hall to have his first shot, --a screaming solo home run to right field to give his team a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second. 

The Ducks plated two runs in each of the first three innings, with Aaron Zavala scoring on a fielder's choice in the home half of the third. Yovan had the second of his two home runs, a towering shot that traveled more than 400 feet and cleared the center field wall.

Cullen Kafka got the starting nod on the hill for the Ducks in what would turn in to a rough outing. His day ended after just three and two thirds innings of work, surrendering four earned runs on nine hits, while striking out two batters and walking one. 

Central Connecticut State got its bats going in the third inning, courtesy of Noah Martinez, who singled through the right side to bring home Dan Covino. The Blue Devils would bring across another run in the third when Sam Loda grounded into a double play with no outs. 

Oregon's best inning at the plate came in the fifth, when the Ducks scored four runs. Anthony Hall's second home run did most of the damage, a three-run opposite field bomb off of CCSU's Tim Buchek.

2021's Pac-12 Player of the Year Aaron Zavala refused to be left out of the offensive fireworks, launching a home run of his own over the center field fence in the bottom of the sixth inning. 

Despite such an impressive offensive showing, it wouldn't go down as a game to remember for the Oregon pitchers. The Blue Devils scored a run in three straight innings between the third and the fifth and were hard to stop until the Ducks brought in Isaac Iyon to try and slow things down.

He helped the Ducks get out of the fifth and didn't allow any runs in the sixth, but CCSU wasn't going away without a fight despite trailing 11-6. 

The Blue Devils utilized four different pitchers-bringing in two-way player Peyton Stephens to pitch in sixth to spell Dominic Niman. Coming into Friday's game Stephens had only thrown seven innings on the year.

In what may have been a surprising move, Oregon Head Coach Mark Wasikowski pulled Iyon after just one and a third innings and brought in Rio Briton in the seventh.

That's when things got interesting, and fans were probably starting to sweat watching CCSU score four runs and the Ducks' five-run lead all but disappearing. With the score now at 13-10, the Blue Devils still had a chance to make something happen.

Neither team scored after the seventh, and Oregon was able to hang on for a thrilling 13-10 win. Despite the booming output of runs, Oregon went much deeper into its bullpen than CCSU, deploying six pitchers before Kolby Somers slammed the door and secured the win.

Isaac Iyon was credited with the win and the Ducks will face the winner of Gonzaga vs. LSU Saturday at 7 p.m.

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Max Torres
MAX TORRES

Max Torres is the publisher and lead editor of Ducks Digest. He's covered the Oregon football and recruiting beats for four years. He's based out of Long Beach, CA and travels around Southern California and the country covering top high school football prospects.

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