Starting pitcher Nelson Keljo and third-baseman Trent Caraway had career-high nights in an 11-3 win over the University of San Diego Toreros in the home opener on Friday night at Goss Stadium.

Kelji had eight strikeouts and Caraway hit four out of his five at-bats.

“Having all three of my pitches working for me, transitioning to a starter, definitely had to work on my offspeed and breaking ball,” Keljo said. “My first few starts I didn’t really have my offspeeds working, but finally today back at Goss it helped.”

Easton Talt, the eight-hole hitter, secured the Beavers’ first hit of the game deep in the second inning. 

Talt blasted a hit to right-center field and rounded the bases for his first extra-base hit of the season. Canon Reeder, who got on base via a walk, rounded third and scored the first run of the game for either team, as the Beavers took the lead and never looked back. 

Reeder showed off his speed early in the fourth inning again, as he took off and dove for a miraculous catch off the wall that sent everyone in the crowd into cheer.

In the following inning, a leadoff double followed by a single set up runners on first and third. Gavin Turley then ripped one up the middle to score another run, pushing the lead to 2-0.

Reeder once again showed off his speed as he laid down a bunt shortly after the Beavers scored their second run. He popped it up, but the ball found an unoccupied area down the third base line, securing the third run of the game for the Beavers.

In the fourth inning, Keljo allowed his second base runner on a walk, but an initial 4-6-3 double play emptied the bases. This was then reviewed and overturned, the second time a call got overturned not in the Beavers’ favor.

Keljo, a reliever turned starting pitcher, went a season-high five innings. He wanted to head back out in the sixth after celebrating the end of the fifth, but head coach Mitch Canham looked to the bullpen.

“Sometimes it is good when you end on a high note, as opposed to keep pressing it until you fail, and again first time five ups with that kind of intensity he was showing, let the rest of the guys do their jobs,” Canham said. 

Caraway, who has managed a hit in all 11 games, started off the game with two doubles in his first three at-bats, as well as a steal and an RBI that drove in the fourth Beaver run. He led the Beavers in almost every hitting category as he hit three doubles and secured a home run.

“I just felt really good at the plate,” Caraway said. “Started the season, I was chasing a lot of stuff, but lately I have been sitting middle-middle and if it is not there it is not my pitch.”

Late in the fourth inning, San Diego starting pitcher Cal Scolari nailed Tyce Peterson in the helmet, this prompted a pitching change for the Toreros as they brought in Hayden Cody, a right-hander who started the night with a 6.35 ERA.

Caraway blasted his first home run of the season at the bottom of the sixth, scoring two runs, as he watched it leave the park before rounding the bases. 

The ball flew 421 feet and left his bat at 108 miles per hour.

“I knew it was absolutely gone, I was like, might have to strut this one out a little bit,” Caraway said.

Relief pitcher, Eric Segura, found himself in trouble as he walked a batter to load the bases with zero outs. 

Segura followed this up with a strikeout, but then allowed a hit that was mere inches from his head, scoring the Toreros first run of the game. This was followed by a sacrifice fly by Aden Howard to score the second run of the inning and the game for San Diego.

The hitting continued for the Beavs in the eighth inning, furthering their lead. 

They hit three straight doubles to start the inning before Turley drew a walk, forcing a pitching change. After another drawn walk for the Beavers, loading the bases, Wilson Weber hit a 2-RBI single, pushing the score to 11-3, a four-run inning.

Joey Mundt, the oldest Beaver, finished off the game for the Beavers, securing the final three outs as the home team outhit the Toreros 14-5, securing the Beavers second straight win, and first home win of the season.

The Beavers (8-3) will face San Diego again tomorrow, March 8 at 1:35 p.m.