Oregon State University baseball beat out Saint Mary’s College of California in an explosive 20-3 win at the Corvallis regional this Sunday afternoon.
The Gaels had the Beavers’ number in their last meeting on Friday, where Saint Mary’s took the win 6-4. With both teams having lost to one opponent before Sunday, they were fighting to avoid being eliminated from contention.
“I saw a lot of line drives, opposite-field homers, just staying with it throughout the entirety of the game,” head coach Mitch Canham said. “Runs and runs and runs after every inning… just a collective effort top to bottom.”
OSU pitcher Ethan Kleinschmit saw some heavy use. The sophomore stood on the mound for nearly eight innings, where he threw 114 pitches, the most of his season. As he began to leave the field, he received a standing ovation from the crowd.
“That was a great feeling. Obviously, all the fans loved it,” Kleinschmit said. “I don’t know how to put that into words; it was a good feeling, though.”
The game started out slow-scoring, with two quick innings resulting in the Beavers up 1-0.
By the time it came to the sixth inning, it was all over for the Gaels. Seven OSU batters scored nine runs while facing off against two different pitchers. First baseman Tyce Peterson and right fielder Easton Talt both scored two runs in the inning.
The orange-clad crowd was unable to keep themselves contained, cheering louder with every hit. After the huge scoring differential in the top of the sixth, OSU didn’t let a Trojan batter get to base in the bottom of the sixth.
“That was a big inning for sure,” Kleinschmit said after the game. “Put up quite a big number… just go out, fill it out, get a quick three outs, and get back in the dugout again.”
After the sixth inning, the game remained scoreless until the ninth. There, OSU managed to score six more runs for an 18-run lead, which dropped to 17 by the end of the game with a homer from Saint Mary’s.
Kleinschmit’s pitches weren’t the only record broken of the afternoon. Left fielder Gavin Turley scored his 180th RBI, a new school record. The team’s 20 runs were also a program-high for runs in a postseason game.
“We’re definitely resetting, taking a seat,” Kleinschmit said, noting that the Beavers had to play another game in less than an hour. “Get some food in, Gatorade, whatever, and get ready for the next game.”
With the game’s length, the following game was pushed back 45 minutes to begin at 7:45 p.m. The Beavers will be facing off against the University of Southern California. Should OSU win, the two teams will face each other again on Monday to determine who will advance to the super regionals, the next stage of the tournament.
