The Beavers didn't mess around on Tuesday-- they gave Virginia no shot of ending their season. Oregon State used a two run first inning, a three run second inning, and a two run sixth inning to seal the deal by a score of 7-3.
On the mound, Dan Spencer didn't mess around. He brought out all his horses-- Mike Stutes started, going four and a third, then Eddie Kunz went a little under two in the middle, and Joe Patterson finished off the game with three innings in which he allowed two hits. Virginia fans may be critical of the way the OSU coaching staff handled pitching this weekend, but that's baseball. Plus, Oregon State played one more game than the Cavaliers, and didn't get as much time off when the rain hit.
In the first inning, OSU center fielder Chris Hopkins lead off with a single, Joey Wong bunted him to second, and then Barney walked, putting runners on first and second with one out. Mike Lissman doubled to right, scoring Chris from second, and moving Darwin up to third. Jason Ogata grounded out to second, but the ground out brought Darwin Barney in from second, giving the Beavers an early 2-0 lead. Canham, who is in a major slump, flew out to center to end the inning.
In the top of the second, Virginia countered with three runs of their own. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases, and Joe Patterson threw a pitch away, moving them all up a base, and scoring Beau Seabury. Leadoff man Tim Henry doubled to the left center field gap, and the Cavaliers took a 3-2 lead.
The Beavers countered right back at Virginia in the second. Lonnie Lechelt took Casey Lambert deep to left field for his (second? third?) home run of the weekend, tying the game in Oregon State's first at bat of the inning. Virginia didn't have the lead for long. Lennerton doubled to center, Hopkins reached on an error by the pitcher, then Joey Wong singled. Darwin Barney flew out to left field, scoring Lennerton, and giving Oregon State the lead back. Lissman walked, then Jason Ogata hit one to right, scoring Chris Hopkins. Joey Wong was waved around third, but he was thrown out from right field to end the inning, but not before the Beavers got three runs to take a 5-3 lead.
Neither team would score again until the sixth inning, when the Beavers manufactured two runs that scored on a Jason Ogata single. This would give the Beavers a 7-3 lead, a lead that they would maintain until the end.
With the victory, the Beavers have now won nine straight elimination games.
The Beavers will take on Michigan in the Corvallis Super Regional on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
Go Beavers!
--JB--