SURPRISE, Ariz. – Sam Tweedt scattered five hits and a run in six innings and the Oregon State offense totaled 18 hits to send the Beavers to a 17-1 win over Nebraska Saturday at Surprise Stadium.
Oregon State (7-0 overall) has clinched a series victory and will be looking for a four-game sweep of the Huskers (3-4) Sunday via an 8 a.m. PT (9 a.m. in Arizona) start. The game will conclude the team’s 10-day trip to Arizona.
Tweedt picked up his first win of the season with six stellar innings in his second start of the year. The redshirt senior allowed a solo run in the fifth, issued two walks and struck out five.
He was backed by an Oregon State offense that jumped on Nebraska starter Nate Fisher early. Beau Philip’s first-inning RBI double was a precursor of what was to come as the Beavers pushed five across the plate in the third and four more in the fifth.
Philip, Adley Rutschman, Joe Casey, Andy Armstrong and Zak Taylor all drove in runs in the third. Casey, George Mendazona and Kyler McMahan picked up RBIs in the fourth.
McMahan batted leadoff and helped ignite the offense. He doubled twice and finished with a career-best four hits. Philip also doubled twice, going 2-for-3. Mendazona, Casey and Zack Zalesky all set career highs with two hits apiece.
The Beavers tacked on a solo run in the sixth, two more in the seventh and four in the eighth.
Next Up
Oregon State concludes its trip to Arizona Sunday morning versus Nebraska. First pitch at Surprise Stadium is scheduled for 8 a.m. PT (9 a.m. in Arizona). The game is the last of eight straight in Surprise for the Beavers.
Elsewhere
Saturday was also the first day of MLB Spring Training games. Former Beavers Michael Conforto and Nick Madrigal both made starts. Conforto started in right field for the New York Mets when they met the Atlanta Braves, and he went 1-for-2. Madrigal started at second in a split-squad game for the Chicago White Sox versus the Oakland Athletics. Madrigal was 1-for-3. On the mound, Ben Wetzler, who now goes by Holmes, picked up the save after recording one out versus the White Sox in their other split squad game.
Big Innings
Oregon State jumped out to a 10-0 lead after four innings thanks to a pair of big frames. The Beavers sent 11 to the plate for a five-run third, then sent nine to the box for a four-run frame. The five runs in the third marked a season-high for OSU.
That’s Good, Right?
Due to those two innings, eight of the nine Beavers in the starting lineup had reached base at least once by the fourth inning. Kyler McMahan and Beau Philip each doubled twice through the first four innings. McMahan had also reached on an infield single to tally three hits through four.
Two Remain
Stanford dropped the opening game of its doubleheader with UNLV Saturday, leaving the Beavers and Arizona State as the last two Pac-12 Conference teams to remain undefeated. The Sun Devils swept a doubleheader over UC Davis in nearby Phoenix.
