5/14/2022 baseball Edit

Oregon State Baseball: Beavers Take Series Opener vs Arizona 12-9

Brenden Slaughter • BeaversEdge

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Jake Dukart drove in two on a pinch-hit single in the eighth and Garret Forrester followed with a grand slam to send Oregon State to a 12-9 win over Arizona Friday night at Hi Corbett Field.

Dukart, pinch hitting for Matthew Gretler, drove a 3-2 pitch from Arizona reliever Trevor Long past second baseman Garen Caulfield, enabling Gavin Logan to score from third and Travis Bazzana from second. Dukart, who drove in his 14th and 15th runs of the season, fouled off six pitches during the 10-pitch at bat, including three straight leading up to the single.

Wade Meckler then made it 8-5 on a bases-loaded walk before Forrester hit his third home run of the season. His grand slam was launched to the deepest part of the park in left center, cementing the Beavers’ 40th win of the season.

Forrester’s home run was the second of the night for the Beavers (40-9 overall, 19-6 Pac-12 Conference), following a fourth-inning solo blast from Jacob Melton, his 13th of the year. Melton went 3-for-6 on the night, doubling twice.

Meckler also doubled twice in a 4-for-5 night. He doubled in the third and sixth innings and singled in the first and seventh.

Bazzana also collected two hits for OSU, which finished with 14 as a team.

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Neither starter worked long. Cooper Hjerpe went 4 1/3 for the Beavers, his shortest out of the year, and allowed seven hits and five runs – three earned – while striking out three. His counterpart, TJ Nichols, gave up five runs on seven hits and five walks with four strikeouts in five innings.

The win went to Ben Ferrer, who worked four innings, scattering four runs on two hits. He struck out six and improved to 3-0 on the year.

Long took the loss for Arizona after allowing five runs in an inning of relief. He is 5-2 this season.

OSU scored four in the third to take a 4-2 lead after Arizona scored two in the first. Melton’s home run make it 5-2 after four, and the Wildcats (33-18, 14-11) scored three in the fifth to tie the game.

The win kept Oregon State in a three-game lead for first place in the Pac-12. Stanford defeated Utah earlier in the day to remain in second place.

Next Up

Oregon State and Arizona continue their three-game series Saturday night at Hi Corbett Field. First pitch is slated for 6:05 p.m. PT and will air live on the Pac-12 Network.

Oregon State Notes

- With the win, the Beavers reached the 40-win plateau for the 10th time in program history.

- Forrester marked a career-high with five RBI. His tally is the fifth time an OSU player has driven in five or more this year, joining Jacob Melton (two), Bazzana and Justin Boyd.

- Logan batted in the fifth spot of the lineup for the second time this season. Travis Bazzana was in the sixth spot for the first time.

- The Beavers committed multiple errors for just the fourth time this season.

- Meckler posted his 21st multiple-hit effort of the season. He has reached base safely in 48 of the Beavers’ 49 games this season.

- Meckler recorded his second four-hit game of the year. It was the sixth by a Beaver this season.

- Melton’s 13th home run of the season ties him for sixth-most in a single year at Oregon State.

- The grand slam by Forrester was the fifth by Oregon State this year. Bazzana, Melton, Tanner Smith and TJ Wheeler have also hit one this season.

- Oregon State has now scored 64 runs in the eighth inning this season after posting seven Friday.

- Oregon State scored in double figures for the first time since April 16 versus Long Beach State.

- The Beavers’ five doubles were one shy of the team high this season, just shy of six versus Long Beach State on April 15.

- Oregon State’s batters saw 233 pitches. The Beavers had 53 plate appearances, averaging nearly 4 1/2 pitches per.

OSU Athletics