Beaver Baseball Defeats Cal Poly in Rubber Match 8-2
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A day after Oregon State's win streak was snapped at 11 thanks to a walk-off home run by Jack Collins, the Beavs regrouped and defeated Cal Poly 8-2. With the win, the Beavs improved to 18-4 on the season.
Ethan Kleinschmit got the nod to take the hill in Sunday's rubber match. Kleinschmit knocked down the Mustangs in order in the bottom of the first, needing only 9 pitches. Kleinschmit would need only 10 pitches in the second inning as he retired the side again.
The Beavs were unable to muster any offense in the first two innings, but they would explode in the third. With runners on second and third, Aiva Arquette laid down a sac bunt that was overthrown at first base allowing two runs to cross. Trent Caraway would bat home Arquette shortly after, with Canon Reeder also coming home on a throwing error.
Kleinschmit would trot back out for the 4th inning working with a 4-0 lead. With two men on base, Kleinschmit was able to work out of the jam by picking up two groundouts to strand the Mustangs. In the top of the fourth, the Beavs' offense continued to give Cal Poly trouble, with AJ Singer and Easton Talt both scoring on wild pitches from Ethan Marmie to extend the lead to 6-0.
Josh Morano (brother of Beavs offensive lineman Tyler Morano) came into the game for Cal Poly to relieve Marmer and stopped the bleeding momentarily, sitting down the Beavs in order on seven pitches in the top of the fifth.
Kleinschmit would continue to dominate on the mound, as he had yet another 10-pitch, shutout inning in the bottom of the fifth. After a few times through the order, the Mustangs offense began to figure out Kleinschmit in the bottom of the sixth, with Alejandro Garza connecting on a line-drive double to left field to drive in a run. Jack Collins, who walked the game off for the Mustangs on Saturday, would come to the dish and drive in Garza to get the Mustangs within striking distance. Cal Poly would strand two more runners in the seventh, with Kleinschmit working out of another jam by picking up his sixth strikeout of the afternoon.
Oregon State would get back their six-run advantage thanks to a solo shot to right field in the eighth by Dallas Macias and a solo homer to left in the ninth by Trent Caraway to make it 8-2 Beavs. Macias would catch the final out as the Beavs took the game and the series against Cal Poly.
Kleinschmit had another tremendous outing, improving to 4-1 on the year. Kleinschmit would finish with two earned runs on five hits, while tallying six strikeouts in his seven-inning outing.
The Beavs head 90 minutes north on Tuesday as they'll face off against a Washington team that suffered their worst lost of the season a week ago, dropping a 3-1 result at home to Pacific Lutheran. The Beavs and Huskies will face off at Hillsboro Ballpark in Hillsboro, Oregon and can be viewed on Portland's KOIN.
Listeners can find the game on the Varsity Network.
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Kyle is a 2019 graduate of Southern Oregon University and currently does play-by-play for SOU football and men’s and women’s soccer. He hosts a daily sports show in southern Oregon on The Ace Sports Radio, 107.9 FM and 1300 AM. Kyle also does play-by-play for the Rogue Valley Royals hockey team and the North Medford High School Black Tornado for TableRockSports.net. Kyle lives in Ashland, Oregon with his wife and a Dalmatian named Penny.