Beavers Fire On All Cylinders, Advance to Fort Worth Regional Championship

NCAA Baseball Tournament, Fort Worth Regional, Game 5

Final Score: Oregon State 13, Texas A&M 5

As Katy Perry says...

'Cause you're hot then you're cold
You're yes then you're no
You're in then you're out
You're up and you're down
You're wrong when it's right
It's black and it's white
We fight, we break up
We kiss, we make up

Although I hesitate to make the Katy Perry reference, the Beavers turned in a performance in their third game of the weekend, playing (arguably) some of the best baseball they have all year. 

The Beavers opened the game with a six run barrage in the first inning. The Beavers, who waited six innings to get their first hit against TCU last night, got six in the first frame.

In that first inning, the Beavers got four straight base hits after leadoff man Michael Miller reached first base on a dropped third strike. The dropped third strike by Texas A&M catcher Kevin Gonzales would be indicative of the Aggies' afternoon, as they were eliminated from the NCAA Baseball Tournament after losing their second game of the weekend to Oregon State. 

Back-to-back doubles by eight and nine hitters Joey Wong and John Tommasini added two more runs to an already-four run inning. 

But the Beavers were just getting started. A home run by Ryan Ortiz in the second inning put the Beavers on top 7-0, and a John Tommasini single in the third added another run to the pile. 

The Beavers would add on three more runs in the fifth, one in the seventh, and one in the eighth. The Beavers would end up with eighteen runs in the ballgame-- fifteen more than they manufactured against TCU last night at Lupton Stadium.

Junior Jorge Reyes returned to his normal post-season form in the game, working a complete game for Oregon State-- this first of his career. The complete game was key from the standpoint that the Beavers didn't need to turn to the bullpen, which will likely be taxed in tonight and tomorrow if the Beavers force a decisive championship game against TCU tomorrow night. 

Koa Kahalehoe, who hit in the three-hole, tied an Oregon State record by going 5-for-5 in the game. Koa had 3 RBI and scored two runs in the game. Ryan Ortiz went 4-for-6 and John Tommasini went 3-for-4.

The Beavers will now have a quick turnaround as they are scheduled to play TCU at 5:00 PM PT. The Beavers, who suffered a 13-1 loss at the hands of TCU last night, will try to avenge the loss with Tanner Robles on the mound.

See ya'll back here at 5:00!

--Jake (jake.buildingthedam@gmail.com)