EUGENE -- Shaun Chase's first hit of the season was wiped due to a technicality. He made sure his second was a no-doubter.

Chase's first official hit of 2014 was a three-run homer that highlighted a six-run first inning that propelled No. 9 Oregon to an 8-2 win over Portland Tuesday night in the Ducks home opener at PK Park.

Chase thought he recorded a hit in the Hawaii series, but it was erased after he was ruled to have not touched first base. After the ball sailed off his bat and over the left field fence Tuesday night, he made sure to touch them all.

"Finally he hung the curveball to me and I hit it out to left," Chase said. "It felt really good. It felt effortless."

Chase's homer was the catalyst to a concoction of small ball and big hits that turned into a rare PK Park offensive-explosion for the Ducks.

After opening the season with seven games on the road, the Ducks (8-0) quickly settled in at home. Aaron Payne drew a four-pitch walk to lead off for Oregon and was sacrificed over to second before four-consecutive singles and Chase's blast left the Ducks with six runs before the second out of the bottom of the inning was collected.

Oregon would tack on runs in the second and third innings, giving starting pitcher Jeff Gold a boost in his first appearance at PK Park since shutting out Rice for five innings in last season's Eugene Regional.

Gold held the Pilots (2-6) hitless until Caleb Whalen led off the fourth with a double down the left field line. Gold would allow two runs and three hits in the inning before striking out Cooper Hummel to end the threat. He retired the side in order in the fifth before being taken out of the game.

Gold's seven strikeouts matched the career-high he set last year in four innings of relief against the Pilots. Porter Clayton, Brando Tessar and Stephen Nogosek combined to throw four innings of hitless relief.

There was extra reason for Gold and Clayton to be good on Tuesday. Oregon coach George Horton said it's down to those two, along with Trent Paddon, for the last weekend starting position.

"He's a candidate to do that. He's done it before," Horton said of Gold. "He was solid tonight. He gave up three hits in one inning but other than that he was pretty good."

After a bunch of singles and stolen bases in Hawaii followed by doubles in the gap and power against Loyola Marymount, the Ducks mixed both to perfection Tuesday night. Oregon sprayed 12 hits, collected an A.J. Balta double, Chase's home run and stole three bases. Chase even got into the small-ball mix, as the 6-foot, 214-pound catcher laid down a perfect bunt in the third inning for a single.

"Whenever the third baseman is back like that in PK Park it's an automatic hit," Chase said, "so why not take it leading off an inning?"

The Ducks won't always put up six runs in the first inning, but when they're able to use all facets of the game, Horton said the score generally follows.

"When it's going good it's a thing of beauty," he said. "It's like watching Dana's basketball team when they're running or our football team with their up-tempo. We're not just a sit back and hit the ball over the fence type of thing. When you get those extra-base hits then you get those crooked numbers like a six."

The Ducks might need big numbers this weekend, as Horton's former team, No. 5 Cal State Fullerton comes to Eugene for a three game set beginning Friday night.

-- Tyson Alger |