Even with the elements against them, the Oregon State Beavers baseball team began their nine-game home stretch with a win over the Washington State Cougars on a rainy Wednesday afternoon, 4-3 at Goss Stadium. 

“Definitely could’ve gone better, but this is just one more example of how our guys can stay with the best,” said head coach Mitch Canham on today’s close win. 

Welcoming back the Cougars for the second day in a row. The Beavers handled business the first go around, dominating a 15-1 win. The highlight was the fourth inning, with a staggering nine runs. 

As the weather worsened, it almost symbolically foreshadowed the Beavers’ rough start, as they would find themselves in a 3-1 hole at the top of the fifth. 

Junior first baseman Jacob Kreig would allow OSU to breathe with by scoring on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth to get onto the board. 

“It was great to see our older guys take charge and get some run-ins,” Canham said about his older players getting involved today. 

The Beavers padded on with another run in the bottom of the fifth by junior shortstop Aiva Arquette. Helping claw the team to a more manageable one-run game. The following two innings would be a stalemate before Kreig would nail a homerun and allow himself and Tyce Peterson to trot around the bases and take a one-run lead, 4-3. 

The Beavers pitchers helped their team stay close in striking position with nine strikeouts. Sophomore Wyatt Queen led the way with five strikeouts. Queen pitched the last five innings and delivered the final strikeout of the game to secure the victory. 

“(Queen) has really improved, and today he was on it,” said Canham when asked about his young pitcher and the pitching as a whole on the day, “It kept us alive.”

The Beavers will regroup and prepare for their matchup with the Grand Canyon Antelope at Goss Stadium on March 14.