Box Score I
Box Score (pdf)
CORVALLIS, Ore. --- The No. 5 Oregon State Beavers scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth and three more in the fifth to claim a 5-0 win over the Portland Pilots in a non-conference baseball game played on Tuesday night at Goss Stadium. The game was the fifth this season against a ranked opponent for the Pilots, who drop to 2-10 on the year.
It looked promising early for the Pilots, who got runners on base during each of the first three innings, but Oregon State (10-3) starter Jake Thompson was able to avoid any damage.
Portland starter Bill Sahlinger held the Beavers off the base paths for the first two innings before Oregon State pushed a pair across in the bottom of the third. After a pair of two-out walks loaded the bases, Michael Conforto drove a two-run single into left field to break the scoreless tie.
Reliever J.R. Bunda would then get out of the inning, but the right-hander would surrender three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Gabe Clark had an RBI double, Adrian Peterson notched a run-scoring single, and new pitcher Alex Fisher forced in a run when he issued a walk with the bases loaded.
Fisher would recover from there and he'd combine with fellow freshman Davis Tominaga to hold the Beavers scoreless the rest of the way.
Thompson (3-0) worked 5.0 innings, striking out seven and yielding just one hit. Trent Shelton tossed the final 4.0 innings to pick up the save. Portland did get two runners on in the bottom of the ninth, courtesy a Kevin Wade single and a Ryan Barr walk, but Shelton induced a game-ending fly out off the bat of Michael Lucarelli.
Sahlinger (0-1), a sophomore right-hander, takes the loss, while the four Portland pitchers allowed just seven hits on the night.
The Pilots next return home to host the Bakersfield Roadrunners for a three-game series this weekend at Joe Etzel Field. Portland, which will be looking to end a seven-game losing streak, and Bakersfield open the series at 2 p.m. on Friday, while first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
