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It wasn't a good start for the Beavers, as starting pitcher Jake Thompson got the Beavers in a hole in the top of the first when Jayhawk catcher Michael Tinsley doubled home a pair of runners to make it 2-0 Kansas.
However, the bottom of the first proved that this would not be a repeat of yesterday's performance against Oklahoma. The Beavers batted around, scoring 7 runs on 6 hits and forcing Kansas to go to the bullpen. At one point, the Beavers had 6 consecutive batters reach base and the only batter not to reach base in the inning was Joe Gillette.
Thompson gave up another run in the second, in what was his final inning of work. Thompson's start to the season has been, at best, disappointing. For the sophomore who was penciled in as a Saturday starter by many after last year, 6 runs over his first 6 innings is a huge letdown. There were enough mysteries on the pitching staff without having to change what was supposed to be a known quantity to a question mark.
Oregon State added 3 more in the 3rd to make it 9-3, and they weren't even close to done. In the bottom of the 5th, the Beavers answered a Tinsley solo homerun by scoring 5 times, punctuated by (there goes that man again) KJ Harrison's grand slam. It's only 8 games, but Harrison is making it very difficult to keep expectations for him in check. He's certainly entered territory that confirms him as the real deal, but surely he can't keep up the pace he's started his college career with. At the least, his home runs should go down once the Beavers move back to Goss Stadium and the Pacific Northwest.
The teams traded runs in the 7th inning, the Beavers' coming by way of a Jeff Hendrix home run.
The Beavs used 4 pitchers on Sunday morning, the second of which, Austin Woodward, took the win for the Beavers for his 2.1 inning, 1 run performance. Drew Rasmussen continued his impressive start by striking out 7 in 3.2 innings, and giving up 1 run. Ryan Mets pitched a perfect 9th inning, including a strikeout.
On offense, 4 Beavers had multi-hit games, with Caleb Hamilton and Scotland Church pitching in 2 hits apiece, and Harrison and Hendrix adding 2 and 3, respectively. Harrison ended the day with 5 RBI's, adding to his absurd season statline.
Next weekend, it's finally time for the home-opener, as Oregon State (5-3) will take on Grambling State (2-4) at Goss Stadium in a standard 3-game series.