Oregon State Comeback Overcomes Washington

Oregon State overcame a 4-0 Washington lead with 5 unanswered runs of their own in the 7th and 8th innings Saturday to pick up a sunny 5-4 win.

The Huskies broke open what had been a pitching duel early, with both starters working 1 hitters through 3 innings, with 3 runs in the top of the 4th inning.

And is so often the case, it started with a leadoff walk. Joey Morgan's RBI double was the biggest single event, but an RBI single and an RBI sacrifice would follow

Washington added what looked like a big run in the 6th, and it was a result of Oregon State starter Jake Thompson hitting Chris Baker with a pitch to start the inning, and end his afternoon.

Scotland Church took over, and initially Beaver Nation's prayers were answered with a double play ball, but Barker would eventually score on Levi Jordan's single.

The Beavers answered with 3 runs in the bottom of the 7th, on a 2 RBI double by Kyle Nobach, which scored both Christian Donahue and Jack Anderson, and then another of those runs that was a product of pitching problems, as Nobach went on to score on consecutive wild pitches by Spencer Jones. Jones had just taken over for Husky starter Joe DeMers when he gave up the double to Nobach, whom he doubtless never wants to see again. Jones had recorded over 3 dozen innings of scoreless relief before he encountered Nobach.

That extra Husky run in the 6th looked though, with the Beavers still trailing by 1 with only 1 at bat to go.

A series of singles, by Trevor Morrison, KJ Harrison (to score Morrison), and then Logan Ice set the table for Anderson's go ahead RBI single though, and that brought on Beaver closer Max Engelbrekt, who picked up his 10th save of the season, with no blown chances, though he did have to get Josh Cushing to strike out swinging with the tieing and go ahead runners both in scoring position to secure the win.

Mitch Hickey, who followed Church out of the bullpen got the win, his first and only decision so far this season, while Troy Rallings, who tried unsuccessfully to hold onto the 1 run lead when he took over in the 8th, got the loss, and dropped to 1-1 for the season.

Coupled with yesterday's 10-1 win, Oregon State has won the series before ever taking the field tomorrow afternoon at 4, midway in the first game of the NCAA Women's Final 4 which Oregon State will be playing in, when the Beavers will attempt to sweep the Huskies, whose' women's team plays the second game, which will start about mid-way through the baseball game. Too bad the Pac-12 didn't have the baseball teams play a double header today to clear the schedule for tomorrow.

Oddly, both of the Beavers' Pac-12 series so far have been sweeps, while none of the Huskies series this season have been.

Andy_Wooldridge@yahoo.com