Beavers tune up for Pacific-10 opener with dominating performance against Cal Poly

Gazette-Times

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Mike Lissman drove in five runs as second-ranked Oregon State won its 12th straight on Monday afternoon, defeating Cal Poly 13-1 in a nonconference baseball game at Baggett Stadium.

Daniel Turpen, Blake Keitzman and Jorge Reyes combined to pitch a six-hitter for the Beavers (23-3), who allowed just three runs and 14 hits in the three-game sweep of the Mustangs (13-16).

The Beavers begin Pacific-10 Conference play on Friday at Arizona. The three-game series continues Saturday and Sunday.

Oregon State moved up two places from No. 4 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll when it was released on Monday. The Beavers are also ranked fourth this week by Baseball America magazine, second by Collegiate Baseball newspaper and fourth by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

The 12-game winning streak is Oregon State’s longest since the Beavers won 15 straight during the 1986 season.

OSU took a 5-0 lead with a four-run third inning that included Lissman’s three-run double, and then put the game away with a six-run eighth.

“I thought we played a pretty complete game,” OSU coach Pat Casey said. “I was pleased we were able to score some runs off a real good arm (Mustang starter Thomas Eager).

“I thought Daniel Turpen didn’t have his best stuff early, but he really competed well and that’s a big part of the whole thing n when you don’t have your best stuff, to come out and hold your club in the game until they can strike, and we did. I thought we were really motivated today to play.”

Lissman’s five RBI were a career high, and his 2-for-4 performance extended his hitting streak to a career-best eight games. His other two RBI came on a sacrifice fly in the seventh and a single in the eighth.

“We got a little excited today,” Lissman said. “People are coming out to get us every day, and it’s nice when we come out and put runs up early and then bury somebody at the end.”

Turpen struck out two, walked two and scattered five hits in 62/3 innings, giving up one run.

Eager struck out six, walked five and gave up six hits and six runs in his 62/3 innings.

Kevin Castner surrendered six runs and six hits when Oregon State put the game away in the eighth.

Chris Hopkins hit 3-for-4, while Drew George went 2-for-5 with two doubles and Jordan Lennerton was 2-for-4 with two doubles for OSU.

Catcher Mitch Canham tripled and scored three times.

Oregon State 13, Cal Poly 1

OREGON STATE 014 000 161 — 13 13 0

CAL POLY 000 100 000 — 1 6 0

Turpen, Keitzman (7), Reyes (9) and Canham, Ortiz. Eager, F. Reed (7), Castner (8), E. Reed (9) and Thomas. WP: Turpen (6-0). LP: Eager (4-2). 2B: Lissman, George 2, Lennerton 2, (OSU), Desme, Dorrell (CP). 3B: Canham (OSU).

Hits: Oregon State 13 (Hopkins 3, Barney, Canham, Lissman 2, George 2, Ogata, Lennerton 2, Wells), Cal Poly 6 (Pezet, Desme, Dorrell, Melker, Smith, Thomas).

RBI: Oregon State 12 (Hopkins, Barney 2, Lissman 5, George 2, Ogata, Wong), Cal Poly 1 (Dorrell).