Despite the rainy weather here in Portland and the two hour rain delay, 7,456 fans were able to come out to PGE Park on Friday night to watch the Beavers beat the Georgia Bulldogs 6-4. Mike Stutes started for the Beavers and got the win, moving his season record to 1-1. Jason Ogata was Oregon State's offensive MVP of the night, with an 3-RBI inside the park homerun in the bottom of the fifth inning. We will elaborate on that more in just a minute.
Stutes, the 6-1 senior from Lake Oswego, started the game shaky when he gave up a triple to Georgia lead-off man Ryan Peisel on the first pitch he threw of the night. The next batter, UGA second baseman Michael Demperio, grounded out to Joey Wong at second base, but drove the runner in from home. The Bulldogs didn't strike again until the fourth inning, when another triple, this time by Gordon Beckham, and a home run by Joey Lewis gave the Bulldogs a 3-1 lead. Beckham doubled in the sixth inning, eventually leading to another run. The Beavers went to Blake Keitzman later in that inning in relief of Stutes, who went 5 and two thirds innings. In those innings, he allowed four runs on six hits, walked three, and struck out eight.
The Beaver bullpen held the Bulldogs scoreless in the final three innings, giving up only three hits the remained of the game. Blake Keitzman, Mark Grbavac, and Kevin Rhoderick combined on the effort.
After Georgia scored a run early in the game, the Beavers struck back in the bottom of the first when Joey Wong hit a homer to right field. The Beavers would then cool off for three innings, until they got the bats going again in the bottom of the fifth. Drew George grounded out to start the inning, but a walk earned by Ryan Ortiz and an error by Georgia put two runners on with one out. Leadoff man Chris Hopkins flew out to left field to drive in a run, then Joey Wong walked to put two on with two outs. It was at this point that Jason Ogata his his three run inside the park home run down the right field line, capping a four run fifth inning for the Beavers.
Oregon State took the lead 5-3 after that point. Georgia scored a run in the sixth to make it 5-4, then the Beavers added an insurance run in the seventh to seal the game.
The Beavers advanced to 2-2 on the season with the win. They play the Bulldogs again in the second game of the Pape Grand Slam today at 1:00 at PGE Park.
GO BEAVERS!
--JB--