Ducks pound Portland behind four home runs

EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon belted four home runs and five Duck pitchers combined to allow just a pair of runs in an 18-2 win over Portland on Tuesday night at PK Park.
 
The Ducks scored five runs in two separate innings while putting three runs on the board in two different frames. Oregon's pitching staff combined to allow just one walk and eight hits in the blowout.
 
How It Happened: Oregon didn't waste any time jumping on Portland starter Brock Gillis (1-1), scoring five runs in the bottom of the first inning.
 
Tanner Smith led off with a walk and moved to third on a Drew Cowley single to right, before scoring on a Brennan Milone sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead.
 
After a Jacob Walsh double put runners on second and third, Josh Kasevich made it a three-run lead with a two-RBI double to right center. Colby Shade followed two pitches later with a home run over the left-field wall for a 5-0 lead.
 
Oregon added to the lead in the second on a Smith solo home run before putting three more on the board in the third on a Jack Scanlon three-run homer.
 
The Ducks (8-5) weren't done. Walsh made it 12-0 with a bases-clearing three-run double in the bottom of the sixth.
 
After Portland (8-4) put two on the board with a home run in the top of the seventh, the Ducks responded with a run of their own in the seventh and three more in the eighth.
 
Bryce Boettcher reached on an error in the seventh and came around to score from first on a Cowley RBI double. Tyler Ganus capped the scoring in the eighth with his first career home run, a three-run shot over the left-field wall.
 
Box Score Notes: Freshman Jacob Hughes made his first start on the mound and held Portland scoreless through three (3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K) … Smith's home run was his second in as many games and the 11th of his career … Smith (3-for-3, HR, RBI, BB) had his sixth multi-hit game of the season and the 43rd of his career, the 10th most all-time in the modern era of baseball at Oregon … Walsh had two doubles for the third time this season … Kasevich (1-for-2, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB) had his fifth multi-RBI game of the season and the 22nd of his career, tying Aaron Zavala (2018-21) for eighth in Oregon's baseball modern era.
 
Up Next: The Ducks open Pac-12 Conference play with a three-game series at No. 2 Stanford starting Friday.