Oregon State takes down Tulane in Regional opener

The Oregon State Baseball team secured a dominant victory over the Tulane Green Wave 10-4 in the opening game of the Corvallis Regional on Friday evening.

Early in the game, it was a pitchers duel as both teams didn’t give up a run in the first inning. However, a throwing error opened the scoring for Tulane in the top of the second inning, as they took a 1-0 lead over the Beavers.

The throwing error occurred when Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana tried to turn a double play, which resulted in the Green Wave scoring a run.

A couple of plays later, with the bases loaded, a two-RBI single from Green Wave second baseman Connor Rasmussen extended the Tulane lead to 3-0 in the top of the second.

The Beavers got on the board with a two-RBI double from first baseman Mason Guerra to cut the Green Wave lead to one run, making the score 3-2 in the bottom of the second inning.

Oregon State outfielder Gavin Turley hit a grand slam to give the Beavers the lead and made the score 6-3 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Turley’s grand slam against the Green Wave was also his fifth of the season.

"I was more just in the mindset of getting the job done, getting something in there to the outfield, I feed off the energy of the crowd. If it wasn't for them, I feel like what I do on a day-to-day basis is for them," Turley said of his grand slam in the fifth inning. "Trent said last night, 'Hey, let's go put on a show'. So, I feel like that's my job—go out there and put on a show, they paid to be here and I'm going to give them something that's worth watching."

Tulane catcher Colin Tuft answered the grand slam from the Beavers, hitting a solo home run in the top of the sixth to cut the Beavers lead 6-4 in the top of the sixth inning.

Outfielder Micah McDowell hit a two-RBI single to extend the Beavers lead 8-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Third baseman Trent Caraway extended the lead for the Beavers again in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI single to make the score 9-4.

Bazzana followed up the RBI single from Caraway with a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth to extend the Beavers lead 10-4, which put the dagger in the Green Wave’s hopes for a potential rally in the ninth inning. Bazzana’s home run against the Green Wave was his 27th home run of the season.

Oregon State RHP Aiden May picked up the win and improved his record to 7-0. May gave up five hits and four runs against Tulane’s lineup. LHP Nelson Keljo relieved May in the sixth, allowing only one hit and picking up four strikeouts. RHP Bridger Holmes closed out the game on the mound for the Beavers in the ninth inning and picked up two strikeouts.

The Beavers will face second-seeded UC Irvine at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field tomorrow at 7 p.m.

Tulane and Nicholls State will face each other in the elimination bracket of the Corvallis Regional tomorrow at 1 p.m.

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