Playing its fourth Big Northern Conference game in as many days, the Dixon baseball team got off to a rough start on Thursday at Oregon.

An advantageous offensive approach and bullpen gem from Layne Vannoy turned things around for a 16-6 win after spotting the Hawks five early runs.

The Dukes (9-4, 3-3 BNC) drew 12 walks and took advantage of six Oregon errors and three hit batters in the comeback win.

Dixon scored nine runs in the fifth inning and Vannoy pitched four scoreless innings in relief to close things out. Vannoy struck out five and allowed just one hit and a walk to give the Hawks (3-9, 1-6) a sixth straight loss.

Eli Kirchoff led the Dukes with four RBIs and a double. Dixon trailed 5-0 after the second inning before working its way back.

“We just kind of fought together,” Kirchoff said. “It’s not just one person going up there and doing something. Layne did a great job coming in and dealing on the mound, and then the bats just started picking up when he started doing good.”

Dixon scored 16 runs (eight unearned) despite just six hits. The patient approach at the plate also paid off.

“It’s just kind of reading the pitches, reading the offspeed, reading the fastball, trying to read out of the hand,” Kirchoff said. “If you can get pressure in those situations, then you can do some small ball, you could get the base hits. Anything helps at that point.”

The Hawks struck first against Nolan Valk, who pitched the first three innings. He struck out two and walked five, allowing six runs (three earned) and three hits.

Vannoy calmed things down on the mound as the offense broke loose against four Oregon pitchers.

“That’s huge,” Kirchoff said of Vannoy. “When he does his job, he can hit the zone and do all that and then he knows everyone behind him can make plays. And we’ve got nothing to worry about, we know we can go beat anybody.”

It was just his third appearance on the mound this season, and he came through as the Dukes grind through a jam-packed week of games.

“It’s been kind of exhausting,” Kirchoff said. “But you know, just being together and having the energy every day in the dugout, helping each other out, getting on each other when we need to, and encouraging each other’s at-bats, that’s helpful always.”

Dixon coach Jason Burgess said it’s been an uphill battle most of the season. But having some pressure on the pitching staff worked out as the junior Vannoy helped get the win.

“What he can do for us, you could see right there,” Burgess said. “When he’s in the right mindset, he’s got the stuff that he can come in late, be a closer, be a middle guy and kind of extend your innings and close a game for you.

“He actually did a lot more than we anticipated right there.”

Burgess said throwing strikes is key for the staff.

“Make plays, don’t make errors and just control your attitude and the little things,” he said. “That today was a struggle early.”

Kirchoff’s two-run double got Dixon on the board in the third inning. In the big fifth frame, the Dukes took advantage of six walks, an error, a hit batter, a wild pitch and a passed ball.

Jake Whelan added a two-run double. Jack Redell (three walks), Gage Helfrich, Daniel Fordham and Chase Simpson all had RBIs.

“We started taking advantage of the mistakes,” Burgess said. “They started off on fire and kudos to them, because they almost could have ran us out of the field there.

“We just kind of weathered the storm.”

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Dixon’s Eli Kirchoff slides at home against Oregon’s Jakobi Donegan Thursday, April 23, 2026. (Alex T. Paschal)