CORVALLIS — Oregon traveled to Corvallis on Sunday knowing it hadn’t won an Oregon State-hosted dual meet in six years.
The Ducks also began the afternoon match knowing they were down by six points, after they were forced to forfeit the 125 match.
Oregon (7-11 overall, 5-4 Pacific-10 Conference) led the Beavers (10-8, 8-2) at the halftime intermission, 10-6. Oregon State, however, scored 21 points immediately after that, winning the dual 27-13.
Senior Casey Hunt began his final Civil War with a bang at 141. A takedown in the first period, and points for an escape and an illegal hold from his Oregon State opponent in the second period, gave Hunt a 4-1 victory.
Tony Overstake, also wrestling in his final Civil War, was not as lucky. The Duck senior and Beaver Tony Hook battled to a scoreless first period in the 149 match. Overstake earned an escape point in the second, while Hook answered with two points on a reversal in the third. Overstake had one point for riding time at the end of the match, forcing overtime.
In the first overtime, Overstake and Hook battled scoreless for the entire minute. Oregon State won the choice for the second overtime, and Hook chose to start down. He managed an easy escape in the 30-second period, earning the 3-2 win.
Junior Branson Phillips had the surprise result of the night. Phillips, normally a low-scoring wrestler at 157, won his match 13-0. The four-point major decision was Phillips’ first of the season, and only the second of his collegiate career.
Redshirt sophomore Luke Larwin and Beaver Matt Ellis fought the second two-overtime match of the afternoon. Each wrestler scored an escape during regulation, but Ellis pulled out the victory with a two-point reversal in the second overtime.
“Those two overtime losses were real important in this dual,” head coach Chuck Kearney said. “That being said, both of our guys wrestled hard, and they’ll be fine for the Pac-10 tournament.”
Shane Webster closed out the first half with a win for Oregon at 174. The sophomore scored five points before his opponent answered with four. A questionable escape by Webster in the last five seconds led to no points, but Webster still earned the win, 5-4. Oregon led 10-6 at halftime.
“Shane needs to not allow his opponents to slow him down,” Kearney said. “The way the match fell, he left his opponent in the match.”
After the half, Oregon State ran right over the Ducks.
Freshman Tony Rolen lost a 7-1 decision to Beaver Jed Pennell at 184. Sophomore Elias Soto was pinned in the second period of the 197 match, giving Oregon State its first lead of the day, 15-10.
Redshirt freshman Neil Phillips gave up his first pin of the season at heavyweight, adding another six points to the Beavers’ score. Oregon forfeited the 125 match, handing Oregon State an insurmountable 27-10 lead.
Someone forgot to tell redshirt junior Jason Harless, though. Harless missed the four-meet trip to California with a knee injury, but in his first meet back he wrestled like the dual was on the line. Harless had a chance for a major decision, but missed it by one point. He won the 133 match 9-2, leaving the Oregon loss on a positive note.
“(Jason’s) one of those guys that can overcome,” Kearney said. “He steps up and competes hard.”
Oregon closes the dual meet season Wednesday at Portland State.