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It was another tough day for OSU in sunny Los Angeles. Oregon State dropped Sunday’s game to UCLA 9-7. They also lost on Friday, which means the series win goes to the Bruins. UCLA outhit Oregon State 10-9 and the Beavers committed two costly errors.
Final.
— Oregon State Baseball (@BeaverBaseball) March 17, 2019
UCLA takes the series finale 9-7.
We're back in action Friday night versus California at Goss. First pitch at 7 p.m.
The first inning was productive for both teams. Alex McGarry and Adley Rutschman got the Beavs started off with a pair of solo homers in the top of the inning. The UCLA offense, however, would take Sam Tweedt and Christian Chamberlain for a ride in the bottom frame with five runs of their own.
OSU would get one back in the second with a Joe Casey RBI double. Rutschman continued his monster offensive day with two-run homer in the top of the fifth. Unfortunately for the Beavs, UCLA bounced right back with two homers for three runs in the bottom of that same inning.
Just absolutely jumped off Rutschman's bat. A no-doubter.
— Oregon State Baseball (@BeaverBaseball) March 17, 2019
It's a 5-5 game live on the @Pac12Network #GoBeavs pic.twitter.com/Azo9KRClUi
UCLA tacked on another run in the bottom of the sixth when Kevin Kendall reached home on an error. Rutschman shortened the gap with an RBI single in the top of the seventh. The Beavs then loaded the bases in the top of the eighth, but were unable to capitalize with any runs.
In the top of the ninth, OSU got something of a rally going. Beau Phillip hit a sac fly to drive in McGarry. That would be the end of it though and the game would wrap shortly after.
It was a tough day on the mound for OSU. Tweedt got the start and made just one out while allowing three hits, four runs, and a walk. Chamberlain went four innings in relief allowing four hits and three runs with three strikeouts. Mitchell Verburg also pitched two innings giving up three hits and two runs with two strikeouts. Jake Mulholland closed the game out facing five batters, striking one out.
As good the offense (or at least Rutschman) looked today, a tough day by the defense and pitchers led to OSU’s downfall. The bad start from Tweedt was hard enough to recover from, but the multiple errors and some other late defensive miscues in the field definitely didn’t help.
All in all, not worth getting too upset about from the team’s perspective or the fans. UCLA is starting to show that this is the year that live up to the hype and the Beavs hung with them for most of the day. If they can build on it and put together complete games consistently, they’ll get back to where they need to be.