Oregon baseball clobbers Illinois for run-rule victory to open series
· Yahoo Sports
Another trip to the Midwest, but this time the Oregon Ducks (27-10, 11-5 Big Ten) got off to the right start, taking down Illinois (19-17, 7-9 Big Ten) in a game that ended after seven innings due to the run-rule.
The Ducks had no problem finding the big hit on a day when the ball flew around the yard. 10 of Oregon’s 16 runs were scored with two outs in the inning. Naulivou Lauaki Jr. mashed two more home runs to continue his hot streak since entering the lineup. Oregon collected 19 hits in the shortened contest, tied for the second-most by the club this season.
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The wind played a big factor in a game that saw a combined nine home runs. The Ducks and Illini traded blows in the early going with a pair of home runs. Drew Smith clobbered one to left for a two-run homer in the opening frame, and Maddox Molony followed with a solo shot for his 31st career big fly as a Duck, tying him with Tanner Smith for the third-most in program history.
Illinois responded with two homers of their own against Oregon starter Will Sanford, but the Ducks took the lead for good in the third inning. A leadoff triple by Brayden Jaksa came around to score on an RBI double by Ryan Cooney. Oregon’s second baseman finished the day with the first five-hit game of his career.
The big blow in the inning came from Lauaki, who smacked a three-run home run to left field and drilled a tree beyond the wall. The ball traveled 496 feet for the reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Week. Laukai’s home run capped a five-run inning for the Ducks.
However, the Ducks weren’t done yet. With the bases loaded in the fourth inning, Molony stepped up and hit a high fly ball that landed in front of the left fielder for a hit. The ball took a sharp bounce over the fielder’s head, allowing the Ducks to clear the bases on Molony’s double and take a commanding 11-3 lead.
Illinois battled back, hitting a trio of solo homers in consecutive innings, but the Ducks did enough on the mound to keep the Illini at bay on a hitter-friendly day. Sanford allowed five runs over five innings and struck out eight. While it might not be his best statistical performance, the Ducks were happy to have it, given how hard the wind was blowing toward the outfield.
Lauaki went deep again in the seventh inning, hitting one over the batter’s eye in center field for his fifth home run in the last five games. He finished the day with five RBI.
Angel Laya slapped a two-run double the other way down the left field line to put the Ducks up by double-digits and qualify for the run-rule victory.
Tanner Bradley was the only arm the Ducks needed out of the bullpen. An early home run was the only blemish for Bradley in relief, as it was the only hit he allowed in two innings to lock down the win.
The Ducks will sleep easily tonight with a big conference win on the road in their pocket, and the bats are officially hot once again. Oregon will send Collin Clarke out to the mound tomorrow against Illinois’ Mitch Dye. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Lauaki's two homers guide Oregon to run-rule victory over Illinois