Beavs Beat Bruins In 10 Innings

For the better part of 8+ innings it looked like OSU would shutout UCLA for the 4th straight time and pick up a relatively easy win. Luke Heimlich got the start and continued the OSU dominance of the UCLA bats, carrying a no hitter through 6 ²⁄₃ innings before giving up a 2 out single to UCLA third baseman Jack Stronach. Heimlich eventually came out in the 8th inning after pitching 7 ¹⁄₃ innings of 2 hit baseball while striking out 10 Bruins and giving up no runs. Heimlich was relieved by Mitchell Verburg who picked up the final 2 outs of the 8th frame before giving way to Jake Mulholland in the 9th. Mulholland induced a double play to get two outs and the Beavs looked poised for another shutout of the Bruins. Michael Toglia had other ideas as he tripled with 2 outs before a pinch hit home run from Nick Kern tied the game, and gave UCLA their first run against OSU since April 4th, 2015.

For UCLA, highly touted draft prospect Griffin Canning pitched a gem of his own, holding the OSU bats to 6 hits and 2 runs in 7 innings of work. Oregon State managed a run off of Canning in the 4th on an RBI single by Trevor Larnach that scored Steven Kwan and another in the 5th when KJ Harrison brought Elliot Cary home from second on a single to center that gave OSU a 2-0 lead. Following the late heroics from UCLA, the Beavs headed to their second extra inning game of the season hoping to pull off another dramatic win. Steven Kwan lead-off the 10th with a 4 pitch walk before reaching second base on a balk by UCLA reliever Jake Bird. A strikeout from KJ Harrison brought pinch hitter Tyler Malone who drew another walk off of Bird to give the Beavs a pair of runners with 1 out. Michael Gretler gave the Beavs the 3-2 lead with a double to left, before Jack Anderson made it 4-2 with single to right. Things nearly took a real interesting turn as the recently cleared Drew Rasmussen warmed up in the bullpen in the bottom of the 10th, but a perfect inning from Jake Mulholland made sure Rasmussen debut would have to wait at least one more day.

Mulholland picked up his 5th win of the season as OSU improves their record to 31-2 and 15-1 in the Pac-12. OSU and UCLA will play again tomorrow on ESPNU at 6pm as Bryce Fehmel takes the mound and tries to clinch another Pac-12 series victory.