Oregon State Shuts Out Stanford in 10-0 Win

Every Oregon State player played a role in a season defining destruction of the Stanford baseball team. A shut down performance from Bryce Fehmel, and dynamite performances from everyone in the lineup gave the Beavers a 10-0 win over the (soon to be former) #2 team in the nation.

The game started off looking like a pitchers’ duel. For the first 2.5 innings, Fehmel and Stanford starter Kris Bubic made quick work of nearly every batter they faced.

In the bottom of the third, Bubic walked Zak Taylor, and the cracks began to appear in his game. Steven Kwan followed up with a single, and then Nick Madrigal hit an absolute monster out to right field for a triple and the first two runs of the game.

A passed ball got Madrigal home, and gave the Beavers an early 3-0 lead, before the Cardinal managed to end the inning.

The Oregon State defense held firm, while in the fifth Bubic once again found himself in trouble. Bubic walked Madrigal, and brought Trevor Larnach to the plate. Larnach then did what he’s done all season.

The 2 run homer gave the Beavers a 5-0 lead, and made Larnach the Pac 12 leader in RBIs with 56 this season.

Stanford pulled Bubic at this point, but the next inning brought more troubles. Stanford reliever Zach Grech walked Tyler Malone, who was then brought home on singles from Zak Taylor and Steven Kwan.

The Beaver bats cooled down for a bit, but then reared their heads again in the bottom of the eighth. Michael Gretler singled to get things started. Jack Anderson singled to move Gretler to third, and Tyler Malone hit another single to bring Gretler home. Zak Taylor then nearly knocked one out of the park, but had to settle for a ground rule double to score Anderson. A sacrifice fly from Cadyn Grenier scored Malone, and a wild pitch brought Taylor home, for the Beavers’ fourth run of the inning, and a 10-0 lead.

The Beavers defense was just as impressive as their offense. At times Fehmel appeared to get himself into trouble, but Fehmel and the rest of the team made the clutch plays necessary to keep the Cardinal out of the runs column.

Stanford started off the game with a triple from Tim Tawa, but couldn’t score him, and that pattern would repeat throughout the game. On the rare occasions the Cardinal put a runner in scoring position, the Beavers absolutely shut down any hope of scoring. A triple in the fourth was similarly wasted, and in the sixth a lead off double led to this amazing play from Fehmel and Madrigal.

Fehmel was without a doubt the player of the game. He pitched 8 complete innings, allowing only 3 hits, 1 walk, no runs, and 4 strikeouts. He was cool and composed, and would absolutely not allow the Cardinal to get anything past him.

Every Oregon State batter, except for Adley Rutschman, had at least one hit, and Rutschman himself walked twice. Nick Madrigal proved his star status with two hits, including the triple that got the scoring started, and one walk. Tyler Malone and Zak Taylor also each had two hits, and 1 RBI each. Trevor Larnach of course cannot be forgotten. He nailed another of the monster dingers we’ve seen all year, and will continue to see as long as the Beavers are alive in the postseason.

The win puts the Beavers at 15-6-1, still trailing Stanford in the Pac 12 standings, behind the Cardinal’s 17-5 record. However, it would be shocking if the Beavers did not jump Stanford in the national baseball polls. You don’t thrash the second best team in the country without making some ways.

The final game in the series will be tomorrow at noon, as the Beavers will hope to sweep Stanford before starting a midweek series against San Diego. Be sure to check back with Building the Dam for all the coverage you’ll need.