A close game turned into a rout as the No. 22 Oregon State Beavers asserted their power in the baseball Civil War, winning 10-2 in the Corvallis Tuesday night.
The Beavers (25-11 overall, 9-6 Pacific-10 Conference) got six runs in the fifth inning, including a grand slam, to break a 2-2 tie with the Ducks and run away with the fourth game the two teams have played this year.
Madison Boer started for the Ducks (13-29, 3-12), going 4.1 innings, and giving up seven runs on six hits. Reliever Zack Thornton then came in and gave up a run in just one third of an inning.
Closer Drew Gagnier gave up the final two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning in his one inning of work.
The scoring for Oregon State started in the bottom of the first inning when John Wallace hit a lead off double, and Ryan Ortiz singled him home. The Beavers scored again in the bottom of the second when Jared Norris scored after Koa Kahalehoe grounded into a double play.
Oregon answered back in the top of the fourth inning when left fielder Curtis Raulinaitis doubled to left field for the first Duck hit of the game. KC Serna then singled Raulinaitis home, and second baseman Danny Pulfer got a single to score Serna.
However, that’s all that Oregon would score, as the Beavers poured it on down the stretch. John Wallace hit a 3-2 pitch into the stands with the bases loaded to open a four run lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. They added two more runs in the inning, and then two more in the bottom of the eighth for the final margin.
Wallace led the Beavers, going 2-for-4 with five RBI’s and two runs scored. Adalberto Santos added a 2-for-3 performance with a run scored and a RBI.
For Oregon, Raulinaitis went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Pulfer also had two hits and an RBI.
Next up for Oregon is a weekend series with UCLA starting Friday at 3 p.m.
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