Today will be a tougher game, I believe because of the pitcher that Youngstown State is starting. Senior LHP Braden Gebhardt was the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week last week because of his incredible performance at Auburn. He went six innings, gave up only two hits, one unearned run, and eleven strikeouts! Whew!

That is as good as performance against Auburn as our staff had against George Mason. I expect a low-scoring pitching duel between him and Will Sanford, and in the end--our batting is better, hence why I could see a 3-1 kind of game. But I will take any win!

Will Sanford

0-0 after two innings. Sure enough...the Penguin pitcher is great and held the Ducks down...so far.

Will Sanford has done equally as well, with three strikeouts and some heat at 95 mph. This game is a dilly!

1-0 Ducks after four innings. Will Sanford has given up a hit in each of the last two innings, but comes right back and shuts them down. We are seeing more of his drop/curve for strikes, and his mental strength is much higher than last year in his freshman campaign.

Jax Gimenez walked, and then Dominic Hellman nails a pitch and hits the wall about halfway up for a double and moves Gimenez to third. Drew Smith was at bat and moved to bunt...and like a good Oregon baseball player...knew when to DUCK. That brought the ball high and quick to the catcher who had it bounce off his mitt, and to the backstop.

That scores Gimenez, and that is the total scoring for both teams after four innings!

1-0 Ducks after five innings. It is certainly a pitcher's duel as the Penguin hurler is good. But Will Sanford has been superb as well as he put them down 1-2-3 with a 96 mph fastball. I would love to see him pitch longer, but he is up to 75 pitches after five innings, and I know they build the pitchers up gradually over the season.

It is just that he is hot today, and 90% of him is better than most relievers...

1-0 Ducks after six innings. Boy that YSU pitcher is good; we had a base runner but just couldn't string hits together on him. Meanwhile the coaches let Will Sanford pitch the sixth, and he was brilliant again. He plinked a batter, but then forced a hit into a double play. At the end of the sixth inning, he threw a 98 mph heater...whew!

1-0 Ducks after seven innings. I sure hope we've seen the last of Penguin pitcher Braden Gebhardt, as he has been terrific and at 96 pitches..he's gotta be done?

He has not given up a single run in two games...

Meanwhile Will Sanford's day is done, and was relieved by Tanner Bradley who put them down 1-2-3 with these side-whipping, wobbling curves and sinkers. I see why he is the No. 1 reliever, as he is hard to hit!

3-0 Ducks after eight innings. Tanner Bradley put them down 1-2-3 again and shows us a nasty changeup.

Owen Morgan came in the pitch-hit and the freshman got his first hit in Eugene in shallow RF. He steals second, but the throw by the catcher is wild and he scoots over to third. Jack Brooks moves slightly inside as a batter to avoid an inside pitch, and the catcher missed the throw and the ball went to the backstop to score Morgan from third!

Brooks walks, steals second, and another passed ball puts him on third. Jax Gimenez bunts and scores Brooks!

Ducks win 3-0, but it got dicey at the end. Tanner Bradley had such incredible pitches and control for two innings just melted down under the pressure, and lost control. He got an out, but walked THREE batters to load the bases!

Oregon brought in big 6'4" transfer from Western Oregon, Devin Bell to rescue Our Beloved Ducks. Geez, he has hardly pitched here and thrown in to save the game? He created a strikeout with a 95 mph fastball, and created a fly-out to end the game. Whew!

Guess we found our closer?