OSU baseball takes the series and defeats UCLA 9 to 3

The Oregon State Beavers led the whole way, but UCLA did make it tough on starter Andrew Moore.   Moore goes six and two thirds innings striking out three, but gives up three runs on ten hits to earn his fifth win of the season.   For the most part Moore is able to do his standard limiting possible damage with help from solid overall Beavs defense.

The offense also played well, even if they did not really get things going at full speed until the seventh inning, where OSU batters score five runs to open up a closely fought game.

The Bruins hit often throughout the early innings of the game and forced Andrew Moore into tough situations, but Oregon State is able to score their first two runs in the first inning on a Gabe Clark two out two RBI single.   UCLA looked ready to even things up in the second inning, but a couple missed calls on what looked to be miscues on Moore's wind up, in the end though the second inning goes off as uneventful for both teams scoring wise.

UCLA though is able to put the pressure on in the third inning with a solo HR shot to right field by Ty Moore to pull within one run.   Oregon State though counters in the bottom of the third with Jeff Hendrix's second lead off single to be then scored on a Dylan Davis two out double.  The matching runs continue in the top of the fourth for UCLA as they score to again get within one run, but Moore is able to serve up a double play ball to end the inning and limit the possible damage.

Moore's struggles stretched into the fifth inning, but even if he was forced into a good number of pitches and needed a stellar defensive play by Trever Morrison and Gabe Clark, Moore was able to get his first 1-2-3 inning.  This allowed for the OSU bats to score in the bottom of the fifth, which was all started on a tough error by starting pitcher Grant Watson that leads to another Gabe Clark RBI to extend the lead to 4 to 2.

UCLA looked posed in the seventh inning to take the lead as they chase Moore out of the game.  Zach Reser comes in with bases loaded to give the Bruins a run by hitting the first, and only batter he faced, and Brandon Jackson comes in to pitch a key strikeout to get the Beavers out of the inning.   This was what the offense seemed to finally need as they explode in the bottom of the seventh to score five runs.  Hendrix gets his third lead off single to start things off to be followed by a Davis RBI single, Clark sacrifice fly, Nick Rulli infield RBI single, and a Morrison two RBI bases loaded single; all of which increases the Beavs lead to the final 9 to 3 score.

That was all Oregon State needed to close out the game.   Max Engelbrekt replaces Jackson and closes out the game for OSU.   The bullpen was generally solid overall and did not allow a hit, the Oregon State offense was very good scoring nine on eleven hits, and the defense was stellar.   All in all it was a close game early on, but in the later innings it became a bit of a day at the office for the Beavs who go to 37 and 8 overall and more importantly 19 and 4 in conference play, and into sole possession of first place in the Pac-12.

The Beavers go for the sweep tomorrow at 3:00 PST, and with a win can go a full game ahead of the Washington Huskies in conference play.

Go Beavs!