"Home, Sweet, Homer -- Vikings split with Ducks after walk-off home run" -- April 4, 2006

By C. Jennings Breakey
The Western Front

Western club baseball players say every game between the University of Oregon Ducks and the Vikings isn’t decided until the last inning. Sunday’s games at Bellingham High School came down to the last pitches.

In the second game of a double-header, Western junior shortstop Chris Peterson hit a two-out, walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning in Western’s 1-0 victory.

Peterson’s home run over the left field fence gave the Vikings, 9-3 overall, possession of first place in the Pacific Mountain Conference with a 4-1 league record.

The teams played the doubleheader Sunday after cancelling Saturday’s game because of rain.

Senior pitcher Ryan Kauffman pitched the game of his Viking career, head coach Michael Johnson said, throwing a complete game while striking out six and allowing only four hits in Western’s 1-0 victory.

“They didn’t prove they could hit my fastball so I kept throwing it, keeping it down in the strike zone, moving the ball around,” Kauffman said.

Peterson’s home run kept the game from going to extra innings, Kauffman said.

“It pretty much came out of nowhere because nobody was hitting hard off their pitcher,” Kauffman said. “Chris didn’t know it was a home run until he was to second base because his head was down, running.”

The Ducks fell to 1-1 in league play and 10-1 overall after Sunday’s games.

The teams played the second game at Bellingham High School.

In the seventh inning of the first game at Joe Martin Field, Western senior left fielder Matt Rhode narrowed the Duck’s lead to 8-6 with a double off the left field wall that scored senior third baseman Andrew Irvine from second base. The Vikings loaded the bases when Western senior second baseman Lincoln Beppu walked.

Western sophomore right fielder Kevin Roach stepped into the batter’s box, worked the count to 3-2 and fouled off two full-count pitches. Roach, who came into the game hitting .400 with 10 RBIs, popped out to left field, ending the Viking’s seventh inning rally.

“You’re either extremely excited or extremely down throughout these close games,” Johnson said. “We played well, but they just played better.”

The Ducks scored early, touching Viking senior starting pitcher Brandon Boyd for four unearned runs in the first inning. Irvine’s throw from third base pulled first baseman Eric Peterson off first base allowing the inning to continue.

Down 4-0, the Vikings loaded the bases in the third inning. Irvine, then hit an infield single deep into the hole at shortstop, scoring Roach from third.

Peterson followed Irvine with a double to the left-center field gap, scoring two more Vikings and placing runners on second and third.

Western scored its final run of the inning on a wild pitch, tying the score at 4-4.

The Ducks scored three in the fifth inning and one in the seventh inning to take an 8-5 lead. A lead the Vikings would not overcome.

“Early on we gave them a couple extra outs,” Rhode said. “They shouldn’t have scored any runs in the first inning.”

Peter than / The Western Front

Above: Members of Western’s men’s baseball club celebrate Sunday after shortstop Chris Peterson hit a game-winning home run at Bellingham High School. The Vikings won the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader after dropping the first game to Oregon 8-6. Below: Viking relief pitcher Zak Van Winkle warms up between games.