Beavs Beat Utes in A 16-inning Marathon

The OSU baseball team extended it’s nation leading winning streak to 22 games with a wild 16 inning victory over the Utes of Utah. The game was the longest in the Pac-12 this season, and the Beavs longest game since they hosted Utah two years ago in a game that ended in a 15 inning tie so Utah could catch their flight back to Salt Lake.

It didn’t look good early for Beaver starter Bryce Fehmel, who walked three in the first inning, but Fehmel managed to hold Utah to one run in the inning on his way to a 6 ¹⁄₃ inning 2 run performance leaving with the game tied at 2 a piece. Brandon Eisert relieved Fehmel in the 7th inning. Eisert pitched a scoreless 7th and 8th inning, before surrendering the game tying run in the 9th setting up OSU’s first extra inning game of the season. Jake Mulholland picked up his second win in as many nights, and fourth of the season, going a career high 6.2 innings while surrendering just a single run, a solo home run in the top of the 16th that gave the Utes a temporary 4-3 lead. The Beavs defense stepped up in extras to keep the game tied, with the best play of the night belonging to second baseman Cadyn Grenier.

The Beaver offense started off strong with a lead-off triple by Nick Madrigal and a double by Christian Donahue that tied the game at 1 in the first, but Donahue was left stranded on the bases to end the inning. The Beavs did manage a run in the 6th and another in the 7th that gave them a 3-2 lead off of Utah starter Riley Otteson, but struggled to get anything going off the Utah bullpen, only managing one hit off the duo of Thomas and Bauerle through the 15th inning. The top of the 16th saw a solo home run by Dallas Carrol give the Utes a 4-3 lead, and set up yet another wild finish in front of the Goss crowd. Last night’s hero Steven Kwan lead the inning off with a perfect bunt along the first base line that the speedy outfielder turned into a single. Kwan advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Micahel Gretler to bring up Jack Anderson. On a full count Anderson ripped a triple that landed just fair in the right field corner to score Kwan and bring the game winning run within 90 feet of home.

Utah pitcher Chase Bauerle issued back-to-back intentional walks to Cadyn Grenier and pinch hitter Zak Taylor to load the bases with one out for freshman catcher Adley Rutschman and the Beavs magic continued with a sacrifice fly to center to give the Beavs their 4th walk-off victory in the past 5 games at home.

The win clinches the series for the Beavs, and they will go for a 4th straight Pac-12 sweep tomorrow as Jake Thompson takes the hill for a 1:05 first pitch.