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Sports Ducks fly south for the Series
Ducks fly south for the Series
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 AND THE PITCH ... Ducks right-hander Mike Loverro delivers a pitch to Vikings batter Spencer Roland (23) Saturday. Observer photos/PAUL HARDER Maybe that’s why the University of Oregon Club Baseball team dropped its game Friday. That meant two extra games to clinch the NorPac championship and punch a ticket to the Club Baseball World Series. “The team likes to make things rough on me,” Ducks head coach Kenny Swartwout said. “This team knows how to play with their backs to the wall. It brings out the best in them.” Just ask Western Washington what it brought out. Two consecutive pummelings — 17-8 and 20-2. Oregon attacked with speed. Lead-off hitter Quentin Clark set the table for the meat of the order time and time again. A single was like a double — or in some cases being hit by a pitch. Clark swiped four bases in Saturday’s opener. “It helps when you have that kind of speed at the top,” Swartwout said. “You have a lot of options.” Earlier in the season, the Ducks played small ball — advancing the runner with a bunt. That all changed as the regional approached, and Scott Marchione’s bat heated up. Marchione collected five hits in the opening game. He tacked on five RBIs, driving in Clark three times. He provided the opening of a day-long fireworks display. A Marchione two-run shot in the fourth put Oregon up 6-1.
 CHEERS! Oregon right-fielder Nick Johnson (left) celebrates after launching a home run against Western Washington Saturday. These Ducks don’t stop. With Clark at the plate in the fifth, Vikings pitcher Byran Simms looked for his first scoreless inning. A strike-away on an 0-2 count to Clark. He singled. The flood gates opened for four runs. Bryan Hansen capped the inning with a three-run home run. Oregon scored nine runs with two outs during Game 1. “We don’t take a pitch off,” Marchione said. “Up and down the line-up there’s confidence that we can score no matter what.” Add in the fact that once again Oregon received a quality start. This time Mike Laverro turned in an eight-inning performance. “It’s about pitching when you get this deep into any kind of tournament,” Swartwout said. “You have to be able to get quality innings from your starters. (Mike) did a great job for us.” Laverro had one hiccup during a six-hit masterpiece. Four runs in the fifth. He struck out six and walked three, allowing eight runs. Game 2 featured a lot more of the same. The ping of 20 Oregon hits filled the night air at Optimist Field. Six hits came during a 10-run fourth. Nick Johnson broke the game open with a three-run home run. The Ducks hit three more home runs during the route. From there it was a matter of time until Oregon wrapped its hands around the regional championship trophy. “It’s a great feeling,” Marchione said. “This has been a good run the last three years. Now we need to do what we can do at the Series.” The Ducks finished second at the Series last season, losing to North Carolina. |
