CORVALLIS — The Ducks and Beavers played another competitive baseball game Saturday under the dark but dry clouds looming over Goss Stadium. The crowd consisted of 4,026 fans decked out in orange and black, setting an all-time stadium record.

Both offenses woke up in a high scoring affair but the Ducks fell short, 8-7, for their fourth loss to No. 2 Oregon State in as many games. Once again, walks severely hindered the Oregon pitching staff.

“We didn’t play well enough to win,” Oregon coach Mark Wasikowski said.

Anthony Hall, who moved up to the cleanup spot for the first time this season, hit a solo homer in the second inning. Hits from Josh Kasevich and Josiah Cromwick added another as the Ducks pounced early against Oregon State right-hander Jacob Kmatz, taking a 2-0 lead.

Oregon pitcher Isaac Ayon had a similarly tough second inning. After a pair of walks, a single got the Beavers on the board. Ayon recorded a big strikeout of Garret Forrester with the bases loaded, but Jacob Melton hit a two-out, two-run single to put Oregon State on top 3-2.

The Ducks responded with a leadoff double from Drew Cowley in the third. He came around to score on a Hall sacrifice fly, tying the game at three apiece.

Ayon worked around a walk in the bottom of the third to keep it tied. He wasn’t so fortunate in the fourth, giving up a double and hitting his second batter. Dylan Sabia replaced him and served up a three-run homer to Melton, giving the Beavers a 6-3 lead. After Sabia issued yet another pair of walks, Josiah Cromwick caught a runner stealing to help Oregon navigate through the rest of the inning.

Through the first 12 innings of the series, Oregon pitchers issued 20 free passes (17 walks and three hit batters). They issued a free pass in 11 of those 12 innings.

Tanner Smith and Cowley led off the fifth inning with back-to-back singles, getting something brewing for the Ducks. Hall then drove in a run with another sacrifice fly. Kasevich came in clutch with two outs, hitting his third single of the day to cut Oregon’s deficit to 6-5.

“The hitters battled like crazy,” Wasikowski said. “That’s what it looks like every single inning, putting pressure on people. I was impressed with what they rolled out there with the offense tonight.”

Right-hander Tommy Brandenburg entered for the Ducks in the bottom of the fifth. After a leadoff double, Meckler hit a fly ball that nearly left the ballpark. It stayed in, but right fielder Hall fell down catching the ball, allowing the runner to score all the way from second on what was ruled a “sacrifice fly.”

Matt Dallas, celebrating his 23rd birthday, replaced Brandenburg after two batters. He recorded a groundout, but then gave up a single and was also taken out after two batters. Lefty Rio Britton gave up a single and ended the inning with a strikeout.

“We didn’t even want to bring [Britton] in in the fifth,” Wasikowski said. “We felt like that was pretty early. But we were just doing what we had to do at that point in time. It would be nice if your starter could go a little bit longer to where you didn’t have those decisions. We didn’t have that luxury tonight.”

The Beavers scored one run in the inning against three different Oregon pitchers, each of whom faced exactly two batters.

Gavin Grant beat out an infield hit in the sixth and was picked off first base. Smith subsequently followed with another infield hit, but the pickoff proved detrimental as the Ducks didn’t score.

Britton recorded a double play to throw a scoreless sixth. With a runner on second and one out in the seventh, he induced a soft ground ball to the right side. Jacob Walsh fielded it and got an out call from the first base umpire, despite the runner being clearly safe. Oregon State coach Mitch Canham argued with the umpires, and the crowd let them know how they felt with a roar of boos.

The next ball Britton threw was a wild pitch, extending the Beavers’ lead to 8-5.

The Ducks had a chance in the eighth after a Walsh double and a Colby Shade walk, which was the first walk they drew all night. Grant worked a gutsy at-bat, but he hit a wind-aided fly out to foul territory in right field. Smith then gave one a ride to center that was caught to end the inning.

Scott Ellis threw a perfect eighth. It was the first one-two-three inning for Oregon all series after Ducks pitchers gave up at least a walk or a hit in the first 15 innings of the weekend.

Brennan Milone, who had been 0-for-8 in the series, mashed his ninth homer of the season in the top of the ninth. It was a two-run shot, cutting the deficit to 8-7.

The Ducks couldn’t complete the comeback though. The next three Oregon batters were retired, with Walsh striking out to end the game.

“Whether you lose by one or 10, it bothers me the same,” Wasikowski said.

Oregon (28-18, 13-10 Pac-12) will look to salvage the final game of the series against Oregon State (37-9, 17-6 Pac-12) Sunday at 2 p.m.

“Every day’s a new day,” Wasikowski said. “Tomorrow’s a new day than today. And so today doesn’t carry into tomorrow.”