[UPDATED] After going 1-1 during their opening weekend in Knoxville, Tennessee, the Oregon State baseball team traveled to Packard Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe for the opening game of the DeMarini Invitational. Northern Illinois was the opponent, and the Beavers prevailed 23-7.
Greg Peavey got the start for the Beavers, and threw into the sixth inning. He allowed three runs on seven hits while walking two. Thanks to some generous run support, (the Beaver offense manufactured 12 runs in the first three innings alone) Peavey went on to win his first game of the season, in his first appearance.
Eugene native Nick Stiltner came on in relief of Peavey, recording the next five outs. He allowed three runs on one hit, walking two and striking out two. Kyle Foster pitched a perfect eighth inning, and Brad Kidd finished of NIU in the ninth inning.
Like they were in the Beavers' Saturday game in Knoxville, the OSU (DeMarini) bats were on fire against NIU. The Beavers produced nine runs in the second inning, thanks in part to two doubles and a triple by Rob Folsom. However, the NIU pitching staff had trouble finding the strike zone all day. Brandon Copp, the Husky starter, walked six OSU batters of the fourteen he faced in the first and second innings. NIU pitchers walked sixteen Oregon State batters overall.
After NIU pitcher Jake Hermsen walked the bases loaded to start the third inning, the Beavers added three more runs. But in the top half of the seventh, the Beavers broke the game open, scoring nine more runs on six hits.
In the ninth, Jared Norris and Stefen Romero hit back-to-back home runs to provide the icing on the cake as Oregon State sealed a 23-7 victory over the Huskies.
Junior Rob Folsom had four hits in the game, and Stefen Romero had three hits of his own, including the home run in the ninth inning. Joey Wong, Jared Norris, and Brett Casey each had two hits on the afternoon.
Overall, the game was a very solid start to the DeMarini Invitational. It's always good to see the offense firing on all cylinders, even if it is in a pre-season tournament game against a MAC school. Up next for the Beavers is Missouri on Friday.
--Jake (jake.buildingthedam@gmail.com)