Friday, March 15
Eugene, OR
6:00 PM
University of Washington
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Photo by: Red Box Pictures
Rhodes Backed By Bats In 9-3 Pac-12 Opening Win Over Ducks
March 15, 2019 | Baseball
EUGENE, Ore. – Washington used a five-run sixth inning to jump-start its offense and freshman starter David Rhodes threw six outstanding innings to lift the Huskies to a Pac-12 opening, 9-3, win over Oregon in Eugene.
The Huskies (10-4, 1-0 Pac-12) scored nine or more runs for the sixth time this season, helping Rhodes (3-1) relax and relatively breeze through six innings. In his first taste of Conference action, Rhodes allowed four hits, three earned runs and walked a batter. He struck out four, including the final two batters he would face in the sixth inning.
"I wanted to go back out there, but J.K (pitching coach Jason Kelly) said 'We're going to the staff' and I was like 'Alright, let's do it.' " Rhodes, who threw 77 pitches, said. "I was happy with my outing. He makes the decisions, I just go out there and do what I can do."
Rhodes benefited from a 14-hit evening by his teammates. Eight different starters contributed with a hit and four different players scored at least two runs on the night.
Catcher Nick Kahle finished the night 3 for 4 with a pair of runs scored and Connor Blair was 2 for 4 with a couple of extra-base hits, including a home run in the fifth that put the Huskies ahead for good.
The Dawgs struck for a pair of runs in the second to jump out to an early 2-0 advantage. Blair got things started with a lead-off double and came around to score on a Ramon Bramasco infield single. Bramasco was sent home later in the inning on a single by Ben Baird, for the junior's fourth RBI in March.
Oregon (10-6, 0-1) would score the next three runs to briefly take the lead, 3-2, before Washington's big fifth inning. The Ducks got one of the runs back in the bottom of the second when the Pac-12's leading hitter Gabe Matthews doubled to start the inning and scored later via a groundout by Aaron Zavala. They scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth on back-to-back RBI singles by Jakob Goldfarb and Zavala.
Washington responded its next time up to bat and did so quickly. Kahle singled for his third hit of the game to start the inning and Joe Wainhouse followed with a low line-drive to Zavala out in right field that he misplayed for an error. Kahle advanced all the way to third on the play and would score when Sam Novitske missed the relay throw at the bag. He was awarded home when the ball went into the Huskies' dugout, tying the score at 3-3.
It was just the start of a long inning for the Ducks as the Huskies would send nine batters to the plate and total five runs in the frame.
Blair followed Wainhouse by untying the score and giving his team a two-run cushion with one swing of the bat when by depositing a 0-1 pitch from Cullen Kafka (2-1) into the UW bullpen beyond the left-field fence. The two-run homer was Blair's third of the year and made the score 5-3.
The hit parade continued for the Huskies as they would go on to load the bases. Braiden Ward chased two runners home with a single into centerfield that made the score 7-3 and sent Kafka to the showers.
From there, Rhodes and two relievers dominated the final five innings.
"I think (the five runs in the fifth) allowed him to take a deep breath and every pitch wasn't so critical," said UW 10th-year coach, Lindsay Meggs. "The thing that impressed me about him was we get those runs and he comes back out and we get the shutdown inning from him. Three hitters up, three hitters down, and he gets us right back in the dugout."
In fact, Rhodes retired the final six batters he faced after he was staked to the four-run advantage.
The Dawgs were not finished scoring as they added two more in the sixth on a sacrifice fly off Mason Cerrillo's bat and a ninth run on a Bramasco single.
Up 9-3, Rhodes turned the ball over to the very capable hands of his bullpen. Chris Micheles continued the Huskies' momentum from the hill, striking out the first four batters he faced and completing two unblemished innings overall.
Jack Enger walked the first batter he faced in the ninth, but he ended up with a pair of strikeout, including Zavala to end the game.
The Huskies go for the series win on Saturday with a 4:00 p.m. first pitch.
The Huskies (10-4, 1-0 Pac-12) scored nine or more runs for the sixth time this season, helping Rhodes (3-1) relax and relatively breeze through six innings. In his first taste of Conference action, Rhodes allowed four hits, three earned runs and walked a batter. He struck out four, including the final two batters he would face in the sixth inning.
"I wanted to go back out there, but J.K (pitching coach Jason Kelly) said 'We're going to the staff' and I was like 'Alright, let's do it.' " Rhodes, who threw 77 pitches, said. "I was happy with my outing. He makes the decisions, I just go out there and do what I can do."
Rhodes benefited from a 14-hit evening by his teammates. Eight different starters contributed with a hit and four different players scored at least two runs on the night.
Catcher Nick Kahle finished the night 3 for 4 with a pair of runs scored and Connor Blair was 2 for 4 with a couple of extra-base hits, including a home run in the fifth that put the Huskies ahead for good.
The Dawgs struck for a pair of runs in the second to jump out to an early 2-0 advantage. Blair got things started with a lead-off double and came around to score on a Ramon Bramasco infield single. Bramasco was sent home later in the inning on a single by Ben Baird, for the junior's fourth RBI in March.
Oregon (10-6, 0-1) would score the next three runs to briefly take the lead, 3-2, before Washington's big fifth inning. The Ducks got one of the runs back in the bottom of the second when the Pac-12's leading hitter Gabe Matthews doubled to start the inning and scored later via a groundout by Aaron Zavala. They scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth on back-to-back RBI singles by Jakob Goldfarb and Zavala.
Washington responded its next time up to bat and did so quickly. Kahle singled for his third hit of the game to start the inning and Joe Wainhouse followed with a low line-drive to Zavala out in right field that he misplayed for an error. Kahle advanced all the way to third on the play and would score when Sam Novitske missed the relay throw at the bag. He was awarded home when the ball went into the Huskies' dugout, tying the score at 3-3.
It was just the start of a long inning for the Ducks as the Huskies would send nine batters to the plate and total five runs in the frame.
Blair followed Wainhouse by untying the score and giving his team a two-run cushion with one swing of the bat when by depositing a 0-1 pitch from Cullen Kafka (2-1) into the UW bullpen beyond the left-field fence. The two-run homer was Blair's third of the year and made the score 5-3.
The hit parade continued for the Huskies as they would go on to load the bases. Braiden Ward chased two runners home with a single into centerfield that made the score 7-3 and sent Kafka to the showers.
From there, Rhodes and two relievers dominated the final five innings.
"I think (the five runs in the fifth) allowed him to take a deep breath and every pitch wasn't so critical," said UW 10th-year coach, Lindsay Meggs. "The thing that impressed me about him was we get those runs and he comes back out and we get the shutdown inning from him. Three hitters up, three hitters down, and he gets us right back in the dugout."
In fact, Rhodes retired the final six batters he faced after he was staked to the four-run advantage.
The Dawgs were not finished scoring as they added two more in the sixth on a sacrifice fly off Mason Cerrillo's bat and a ninth run on a Bramasco single.
Up 9-3, Rhodes turned the ball over to the very capable hands of his bullpen. Chris Micheles continued the Huskies' momentum from the hill, striking out the first four batters he faced and completing two unblemished innings overall.
Jack Enger walked the first batter he faced in the ninth, but he ended up with a pair of strikeout, including Zavala to end the game.
The Huskies go for the series win on Saturday with a 4:00 p.m. first pitch.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Rhodes, David (3-1)
L: Kafka, Cullen (2-1)
Batting:
2B: Blair, Connor 1
HR: Blair, Connor 1
RBI: Ward, Braiden 2 ; Blair, Connor 2 ; Cerrillo, Mason 1 ; Bramasco, Ramon 2 ; Baird, Ben 1
SF: Cerrillo, Mason 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kahle, Nick 2 ; Wainhouse, Joe 2 ; Blair, Connor 2 ; Cerrillo, Mason 1 ; Bramasco, Ramon 2
Batting:
2B: Steer, Spencer 1 ; Matthews, Gabe 1
RBI: Goldfarb, Jakob 1 ; Zavala, Aaron 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Steer, Spencer 1 ; Matthews, Gabe 2
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
0
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
OF
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RHP
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LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP/DH
/ Baseball
OF
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