5/14/2023 baseball Edit

Oregon State Baseball: Beavers Clinch Series Over UCLA With 21-5 Victory

Brenden Slaughter • BeaversEdge

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LOS ANGELES – Travis Bazzana set a career-high with five hits, including a ninth-inning grand slam, to lead Oregon State to a series-clinching 21-5 win over UCLA Sunday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

Bazzana reached base via bunt singles three times. He drove in a run on a single to right during OSU’s five-run seventh and hit his ninth home run of the season on a grand slam with one down in the ninth. He ended the day 5-for-6 with five RBI and four runs scored.

The Beavers’ 21 runs scored were the most on the year, surpassing 19 scored against Coppin State in February. Eighteen of the 21 runs came over the game’s last four innings.

Micah McDowell and Mason Guerra helped contribute to the Beavers’ 19-hit attack with three apiece. Guerra drove in four, including three on a bases-clearing double in the seventh. He doubled twice.

Gavin Turley, Tanner Smith and Kyle Dernedde – the Beavers’ 7, 8 and 9 batters – combined to go 6-for-14 with three RBI and 10 hits. Turley hit an eighth-inning solo home run, his sixth of the season.

AJ Lattery started and worked 2 2/3 innings, scattering three hits and three runs with two strikeouts. He did not figure in the decision.

The win went to Nelson Keljo, who worked 1 1/3 innings of relief. The lefty improved to 2-0 with two strikeouts in his scoreless outing.

OSU (36-15 overall, 18-12 Pac-12 Conference) scored three runs in the second. The first came when Garret Forrester was hit by a pitch, and the Beavers took advantage of a two-run error by the Bruins (26-21-1, 11-14-1) for the three-run lead. UCLA, however, managed to tie the game with a three-run third.

UCLA’s Chris Aldrich surrendered four runs in 2/3 of an inning to take the loss and drop to 3-3.

Next Up

Oregon State returns home for its last four games at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field during the regular season. The Beavers host Portland Tuesday night at 5:35 p.m. PT.

Oregon State Notes

- Oregon State completed Pac-12 play on Sunday. The Beavers reached 18 wins in conference play for the ninth time in the last 12 seasons.

- The Beavers won their first series over UCLA since 2018 and the first at Jackie Robinson Stadium since 2017.

- Forrester reached base safely for his 51st consecutive game.

- Travis Bazzana posted his team-leading 25th multiple-hit effort of the season. He extended his hit streak to five games.

- Kyle Dernedde has at least one hit in 14 of his last 18 games. He now has seven multi-hit efforts this season.

- Bazzana extended his OSU single-season lead with his 33rd steal of the season in the first. That was also the 47th of his career, moving him into sole possession of fourth at OSU. He trails No. 3 Jeff Doyle, who had 54 from 1975-77.

- Gavin Turley’s home run in the eighth was his sixth of the year and first since March 7 against San Diego. Turley’s multiple-hit effort was his sixth of the season.

- The Beavers finished Pac-12 play 17-7 after opening it 1-5.