Beavers complete win over the Pilots
By Cliff Kirkpatrick Gazette-Times Reporter
A road weary Oregon State baseball team returned home to clean up old business.
The Beavers completed their rain suspended nonconference game with Portland from April 15 in PGE Park, defeating the Pilots 4-1 Wednesday afternoon in Goss Stadium.
OSU entered the day with a three-run lead heading into the bottom of the fourth inning. The runs were scored in the top of the fourth from the initial meeting.
“We got the win, I’m happy,” coach Pat Casey said. “A win’s a win, and we’ll take them. We’ve had great battles with Portland.”
Wednesday was first of six consecutive home games for the Beavers (22-18). They have won two straight, but lost four of five on a road trip through eastern Washington last week.
A postseason berth is on the line with 12 games left, and each game is vital. The Beavers are in position for a regional, but have little room for error.
Casey got on his players after the game about little things that are becoming big things. Inconsistency has been driving him mad.
Fielding miscues that don’t show up in the box score and only getting one hit - a solo home run by Jordan Lennerton - in the 51/2 innings played wasn’t good enough.
Lennerton hit the home run in the fifth inning, his fourth of the season. A second run was lost when John Wallace was caught stealing with Lennerton at the plate.
“It has been a long time coming,” Lennerton said of the win. “It was a pain to have that one lingering, so it was good get it finished.”
Right-hander James Nygren had a no-hitter going when the game was stopped three weeks ago, and had the opportunity to finish what he started.
However, he gave up two hits and a run in the fifth inning. Nygren (1-1) settled for his first career win in five starts and an official line of seven innings, four strikeouts and one run scored.
“It’s great,” Nygren said of his first win. “Better late than never, I guess. Any time I’m in the game, I’m competing to win and help my team.”
His strong outing rested a tired bullpen for this weekend’s Pacific-10 Conference series with UCLA.
The other game against Portland that was rained out April 23 at Goss Stadium will not be made up due to timing, Casey said. The Beavers and Pilots have a full schedule for the rest of the regular season in the next three weeks.
Oregon State 4, Portland 1
OREGON STATE 000 310 000 - 4 8 0
PORTLAND 000 010 000 - 1 4 0
Nygren, Sitton (8), Starr (8), Rhoderick (9) and Ortiz. Thorpe, Jones (5), Thompson (7), Lang (9) and Gale. WP: Nygren (1-1). LP: Thorpe (2-3). S: Rhoderick (10). HR: Lennerton (OSU). 3B: Henrichs (P). 2B: Meier (P).
Hits: Oregon State 8 (Ogata 2, Wong, Wallace, George, Nash, Lennerton, Robertson). Portland 4 (Wiltshire, Henrichs, Kraus, Meier).
RBIs: Oregon State 3 (Robertson, Ogata, Lennerton). Portland 1 (Henrichs).
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