Tommy Thorpe threw an absolute gem, holding Loyola Marymount to just four hits in seven shutout innings to earn his second win of the season as the Ducks beat LMU 6-1 to improve to 5-1 on the season.
“I felt pretty good,” Thorpe said. “But it wasn’t just me, it was my defense behind me. I owe them credit.”
Oregon scored its six runs on two three-run innings despite registering just two hits all game. Five different Ducks were hit by a pitch on Saturday, with Scott Heineman getting hit twice.
“You can commend out hitters for not jumping out of the way,” Horton said.
Horton said weather conditions may have played a role in Lions starter Trevor Megill’s control issues.
“If you noticed,” Horton said, “(LMU catcher Colton) Plaia was having a tough time even catching him, and Plaia can really receive. He was on a Team USA team that I had the privilege of being on, and he’s a tremendous receiver.”
Those weather conditions forced a short rain delay in the sixth inning, but it didn’t last long enough to knock Thorpe out of the game. The Ducks starter simply stayed warm by the dugout heater and trotted back out to finish the inning.
Thorpe would give up four hits and strike out six in his seven innings of work.
Oregon made it 3-0 in the third inning when a Megill hit three batters and walked another to make it 1-0 setting up Ryon Healy with a bases loaded opportunity. Healy had been the Ducks most productive player offensively in Hawaii but went 0-3 in the Ducks home opener Friday night. Facing a pitcher with control issues though, the Ducks first basemen had a good idea of what he might see.
“I went up there and I told coach Wasikowski, ‘I’m getting a fastball, and I’m gonna hit it.’ He was able to throw one in the strike zone, and I was able to put a good swing on it,’” said Healy.
Healy connected on the pitch to drive in two runners to put a crooked number on the board.
Oregon next scored in the seventh inning, again putting a three spot on the board by capitalizing on LMU’s mistakes. The Ducks scored two runs when sacrifice bunt attempts resulted in wild throws into right field and earned a third on a more conventional sacrifice from Scott Heineman.
The Ducks allowed their lone run in the eighth inning with Garret Cleavinger pitching. Cleavinger gave up just one hit but walked three, and, more damagingly, couldn’t connect with catcher Shaun Chase three times, allowing Tanner Donnels to move from first to third in the same at-bat.
“The wild pitches with Cleavinger we were calling the location on one side of the plate and they were the extreme opposite,” Horton said. “It wasn’t all just Shaun’s fault, but like I told him you still gotta catch the ball.”
Oregon will conclude the three game set with LMU tomorrow afternoon. Freshman Cole Irvin is slated to start for the Ducks.