Reliever Chris Siegfried struck out three in 3.1 innings

The Pilots take a one-run lead in the seventh, but Oregon State rallies for a 12-4 win

CORVALLIS, Ore. --- The ninth-ranked Oregon State Beavers need four runs in the seventh inning and five more in the eighth to defeat the Portland Pilots 12-4 in a non-conference baseball game Tuesday at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field. The Pilots had taken a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh inning.

Portland drops its third straight to fall to 14-17 on the season. Oregon State improves to 26-7.

After the Beavers touched Portland junior starter Brian Yoakum for a pair in the first, the Pilots plated two in the top of the third. Portland scored the first run when freshman left fielder Jeff Arbayo scored on a wild pitch by OSU starter Jorge Reyes. Then with two outs and freshman shortstop C.J. Cullen on third, junior center fielder Cory Wiltshire knotted the score at 2-2 with an RBI single to right field.

Still 2-2 in the sixth, Portland took its first lead of the game, courtesy an RBI double by sophomore first baseman Chase Powell. Powell drove in junior Brandon Howard, who led off the inning with a single to right.

The Beavers answered immediately with an unearned run off UP reliever Chris Siegfried, a junior, in the bottom half of the sixth.

The Pilots reclaimed the lead an inning later. Junior outfielder Danny Meier, who drew a lead-off walk, worked his way around the bases before scoring on an OSU error.

Oregon State then scored nine runs covering the seventh and eighth innings to put the game out of reach. In the seventh, senior Josh Roberts relieved Siegfried with a runner on second and one out. Mitch Canham greeted Roberts with a game-tying RBI double to deep right center field. Canham then scored on a wild pitch before pinch hitter Scott Santschi drove in two with a double.

In the eighth, Oregon State scored one on a bases-loaded walk and four more on a grand slam by Jordan Lennerton. With one out and the bases juiced, Lennerton drove a pitch from freshman reliever Ben Panther over the center-field wall to give OSU the 12-4 lead.

Siegfried (0-1), who surrendered two earned runs on four hits and three strikeouts in 3.1 innings, is charged with his first loss this season.

Oregon State reliever Greg Keim (2-1) picked up the win after holding UP scoreless and hitless in two-thirds of an inning. Mark Grbavac, who didn’t allow a hit and struck out all four hitters he faced in 1.1 innings of work, earned his third save of the season.

The Beavers outhit the Pilots 11-4. Portland committed four errors, while Oregon State made two.

Portland next travels to San Diego, Calif. for a three-game West Coast Conference series this weekend. The San Diego Toreros host the Pilots at 3:00 p.m. on Friday and at 1:00 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.