Spring Break
Beavers take series, third place in Pac-10
Oregon State baseball continues to improve, takes series 2-1, in third place in Pac-10 standings, starts five game roadtrip in Washington
Kacy Hochstatter
Issue date: 4/28/08 Section: Sports
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Jorge Reyes allowed two runs on six hits in eight innings to lead Oregon State past Arizona 3-2 in the third and deciding game of the weekend series.
Reyes has had an up and down season this year and bounced back from a disappointing performance last weekend at Arizona State, giving the Beavers a much needed win in a pivotal conference series in front of a sellout crowd at Goss Stadium.
"When the crowd is behind you here in Corvallis, it feels nice and you just get really emotional," Reyes said. "You just kind of go out and pitch great with that."
The reigning College World Series MVP looked every bit the part on Sunday as Reyes had six strikeouts, zero walks and picked up the win to improve to 3-2 on the season.
"You love being behind guys like that," second baseman Lonnie Lechelt said. "When we see him out there and he starts - well, you just know it's going to be a good day for us."
The day did not start out very well for Reyes as he allowed back-to-back doubles with two outs in the top of the first inning and Arizona jumped to an early 1-0 lead. He settled in after that retiring 13 of the next 15 batters and would only allow one run the rest of the way, an unearned run in the sixth.
"(Reyes) was great," coach Pat Casey said. "His stuff was good, he didn't walk anybody. Those things kind of go hand in hand."
But the Beavers still needed to manage some offense and they got a spark in a rather unusual and frightening way. Leading off the bottom of the third inning, senior outfielder Braden Wells was hit in the face by a fastball from Arizona starter Eric Berger. The ball glanced off his helmet and hit Wells in the left cheek.
"The biggest deal of the game was (Wells) getting hit in the face with a 90 MPH fastball and staying in the game," Casey said. "For me that's what it's all about right there, nothing more. That sent a message to some of our guys."
The message was heard loud and clear and the Beavers responded by putting some runs on the board in the bottom of the fifth. After a Danny Robertson single and a sacrifice bunt by Eric Ammon, Wells hit an RBI single to score Robertson from second. Wells stole second base and Chris Hopkins followed with an RBI double to give the Beavers their first lead of the game at 2-1.
The reigning Pac-10 player of the week Lechelt, hit a triple to score Hopkins and the Beavers led 3-1.
In the top of the ninth, Casey brought in Kevin Rhoderick to close the game. He fell behind early, gave up a hit and walked two more to load the bases with two outs.
But he came back and struck out Bobby Coyle swinging with a breaking ball to seal the victory and pick up his conference leading ninth save.
This was a big win for the Beavers as they moved ahead of the Wildcats in the Pac-10 standings and into third place. Only nine conference games remain with six of those coming on the road.
"It was a huge series win this weekend against Arizona," Lechelt said. "This game pretty much decided between third and seventh place, so it was a big win for us."
The weekend did not get off to a very good start for the Beavers as Arizona won game one on Friday 7-0. Oregon State managed only five hits and Arizona starter Preston Guilmet went the distance striking out 10 OSU hitters. Oregon State starter Mike Stutes pitched well, but after 152 pitches started to wear down in the late innings. As well as Guilmet was pitching, it did not matter.
Saturday was quite the opposite. Freshman starter Tanner Robles improved to 3-0 this season after going 7 2/3 innings, allowing only two runs, on two hits and no walks, while leading the Beavers to a 4-3 win. Lechelt led the Beavers with three hits, including a double and a run scored.
The moment of the weekend might have come in the fourth inning of game two where Robles hit Arizona slugger C.J. Ziegler in his side. Ziegler took exception to getting plunked and said some words to Robles that he did not appreciate. From that pitch forward, Oregon State outscored Arizona 6-3 and won two huge games. Ziegler heard it from the crowd and was booed on every at bat for the rest of the series.
"I'm impressed with the young guys and what they've been able to do," Casey said. "And the guys who haven't had a lot of playing time, (Ammon, Wells, Lechelt) the guys who have picked us up is a testament to the guys coming into practice and being prepared."
The Beavers now face a two game series starting Tuesday against Gonzaga in Spokane, followed by a three game set at Washington State.
Kacy Hochstatter, sports writer
sports@dailybaromter.com
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