In the first two games of regionals, Oregon’s offense was incompetent, abysmal, nonexistent — whatever negative adjective you want to throw at it will fit. The team won its first game 3-2 despite only tallying two hits and lost its second 1-0, again only coming up with two hits.
The Ducks hit 4-53 in those first two games yet still found themselves alive in the double-elimination tournament. Aside from the miniscule numbers, they looked like they lacked confidence in the batters box. No matter how well the pitching and defense is — and it was great — scoring runs is a big part of the game, even for a small ball team like the Ducks.
Sunday, facing the brink of elimination, a new team emerged. Oregon was dominant in the first game, winning 6-1 with two home runs and nine hits, but it was just a glimpse of what was coming next.
After Rice put Oregon’s hitters in a stranglehold Saturday night, the Ducks got redemption, winning 11-0. After Ryon Healy took Rice starting pitcher John Simms deep in the first inning, Oregon took the momentum and never game it up.
They put up three more runs in the fourth on four hits, two runs in the fifth, and then, as if a 6-0 lead wasn’t commanding enough, scored four more in the seventh frame.
The entire team came up huge over the two elimination games, but it was Healy and Tyler Baumgartner in particular who put on a hitting clinic.
Baumgartner had a career day, hitting 5-10 over the two games. In the first game he had a single, double, and a home run, just a triple short of hitting for the cycle.
In the second game he got the missing triple and tacked on a double for good measure.
“I think we are seeing a pretty spectacular offensive player emerge right here, just in the nick of time,” said head coach George Horton.
Healy, who has played relentlessly despite a bad back, was a pitcher’s worse nightmare. He hit 5-7 on the day, including a perfect 4-4 in the second game when he, like Baumgartner, was a triple shy of the cycle.
“He’s the monster in the middle of the order,” said Horton. “You always know when he’s due up.”
The offense was exciting and unexpected, getting a sparse and quiet crowd on their feet, but more importantly than Oregon finally playing an exciting game was the resilience they showed.
With their backs against the wall and a beat up pitching staff, the Ducks bounced back and played an unimaginable 18 innings.
However, it’s far from over. Oregon will still have to battle Rice a third time on Monday. The Ducks will be without their lead off hitter, Brett Thomas, who is out with a hip injury and unsure of who to throw on the mound.
“We’ve got a lot more work to do,” Horton said. “But, as I said last night, there’s not a group of young men I’d rather go to battle with than these guys. They’re amazing. Win or lose, I’ll be proud of them.”