Oregon State Starts Win Streak, Walks Off Stanford 3-2
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In seasons’ past, battles on the baseball diamond between former Pac-12 Conference rivals Oregon State and Stanford were must-watch.
Today’s matchup in Surprise lived up to that legacy. After Cooper Vance touched home on a Josh Proctor single in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Beavers earned a walk-off win, 3-2.
For the third consecutive day, the Beavers’ brought a run home in the first inning. Today’s opening score occurred after a throwing error by Stanford second baseman Jimmy Nati, allowing Oregon State leadoff man AJ Singer to reach home.
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In the second inning, Oregon State almost doubled its advantage, when catcher Jacob Galloway smashed a moonshot, but his hit veered foul down the third base line. Galloway popped out later in the at bat.
An inning later, Stanford tried to answer. Cardinal cleanup hitter Brady Reynolds, lined up at designated hitter, took a pitch all the way to the warning track before left fielder Josh Proctor collected the final out of the frame.
In the bottom of the third, the Beavers added another run. First, a throwing error by third baseman JJ Moran allowed Oregon State shortstop Tyler Inge to reach base. Then a Singer single advanced Inge to third. Moments later, Stanford starting pitcher Parker Warner attempted a pickoff throw at first base, but the throw was off, and Inge scored from third, 2-0 Beavers.
In the fourth, Stanford answered back with a bang. Oregon State’s Sunday starting pitcher Eric Segura was spelled by reliever Wyatt Queen, who allowed runners to reach first and second. Then, center fielder Brock Sell slugged a bases-clearing double to right center, tying the score 2-all.
The tie held in the top of the sixth after Galloway fired a bullet to second base, catching Moran stealing.
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Still tied in the eighth inning, Queen stepped out in favor of 6’6” sophomore righty Isaac Yeager. The tall, young gunslinger caught an early break when a screaming effort by Stanford’s Nati was grabbed by a diving Proctor in left. Then, Reynolds struck out swinging, and Japanese first baseman Rintaro Sasaki grounded to first base unassisted.
The bottom of the ninth brought fans to the edge of their seats. A pair of Stanford walks set up Josh Proctor to walk it off. With Oregon State runners on first and second, Proctor singled through the right side of the infield. When Cooper Vance touched home plate, Proctor ripped his shirt off, his teammates mobbed him, and the fans cheered Oregon State’s second straight victory.
The win lifted Oregon State to 2-1, with back-to-back wins. Reliever Wyatt Queen earned his first victory of the season. Tomorrow, Oregon State closes out its season-opening stanza in Surprise with a rematch of season-opening foes Michigan. First pitch is slated for 11 AM PST.
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Matt fell in love with radio during his college days at Oregon Tech, and pursued a nine year career in sports broadcasting with Klamath Falls' and Medford's highest-rated sports radio stations. He currently lives in McMinnville wine country and is excited to talk about the Beavers again.