SURPRISE, Ariz. – Oregon State swept its doubleheader with Nebraska, via 8-2 and 5-3 scores, Friday at Surprise Stadium.
The Beavers utilized two home runs over the two games by Adley Rutschman and 10-strikeout performances from Kevin Abel and Bryce Fehmel to improve to 6-0 on the year. Nebraska, meanwhile, dropped to 3-3.
Game 1: Oregon State 8, Nebraska 2
Abel struck out 10, one shy of tying his career-high, and Rutschman hit a fifth-inning three-run home run to pace the Beavers to the six-run victory.
Abel worked 5 1/3 innings, scattering two hits and two runs, for his first win of the season. He and relievers Dylan Pearce and Christian Chamberlain to strike out 17 Nebraska batters.
Rutschman drilled a 1-1 pitch from reliever Connor Curry over the fence in left to put the Beavers up 5-0.
Alex McGarry was 3-for-4 to lead the Beavers offensively. He also scored three runs and drove in one.
Chad Luensmann took the loss for Nebraska and is 0-1 on the year. The right-hander allowed four hits and three runs in 4 1/3 innings.
Game 2: Oregon State 5, Nebraska 3
Fehmel tied his career-high with 10 strikeouts and Rutschman and McGarry paced Oregon State offensively.
Rutschman hit a solo home run in the eighth to snap a 3-3 deadlock, then watched as Greg Fuchs made it a 5-3 game with a pinch-hit single later in the inning.
Fehmel ended the day allowing seven hits and three runs in six innings. He did not figure in the decision. That instead went to Brandon Eisert, who worked a scoreless eighth inning. He improved to 3-0 on the year.
Jake Mulholland picked up a save with an inning of relief in the ninth.
The Beavers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second thanks to a solo home run by Troy Claunch and a two-run single by McGarry. But the Huskers answered with three in the top half of the third.
Nebraska starter Kyler Perry allowed three hits and three runs in 1 1/3 innings. The loss went to reliever Robbie Palkert, who dropped to 0-1 after giving up the game-winning runs in the eighth.
Next Up
Oregon State and Nebraska continue the series Saturday with a 4 p.m. PT (5 p.m. in Arizona) first pitch.
Radio Info Saturday
Oregon State’s game will move to KLOO 1340-AM on Saturday due to a time conflict with the men’s basketball team’s game versus USC. The baseball game will also air on TuneIn via the “KEJO-AM” channel as men’s basketball will be on the “Beaver Sports Network” TuneIn.
Bailey Breaks A Record
Pat Bailey became the first head coach in Oregon State’s history to start a season 6-0 in their first season at the helm of the program. He passed Pat Casey’s mark of 5-0 in 1995.
Delays
Friday’s doubleheader had a pair of delays for game one. First pitch was delayed two hours due to rain. Then the teams sat through a 45-minute delay entering the bottom of the sixth.
