March 10, 2008
SAN DIEGO - Oregon State scored in every inning but the second and controlled the game from the start in a 22-3 win over San Diego State Monday afternoon at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The 12th-ranked (Baseball America) Beavers pounded out 25 hits against nine SDSU pitchers en route to the victory as they improved to 6-5 on the season. The Aztecs dropped to the .500 mark at 7-7 as they face the opening of their 2008 Mountain West Conference season in three days.
OSU opened the scoring against San Diego State starting pitcher Jon Berger with a run in the first on a single, hit batter and RBI double. SDSU responded with a run in the bottom of the second thanks to some good fortune in the form of an Oregon State miscue. With runners on first and second and two out, catcher Brett Tanos lofted a routine fly ball that was dropped by Beaver left fielder John Wallace, allowing Garett Green to score from second to tie the contest at 1-1.
From there, a sub-plot to the contest was San Diego State's inability to drive home runners in scoring position. The Aztecs left the bases loaded in both the second and third innings and left a pair of runners on in the fourth and fifth. The fourth inning was especially painful as they opened the frame with runners on second and third on a single by Mike Willeford and double by Brandon Glover, but were unable to cash in. All told, SDSU stranded 14 runners over the course of the nine-inning affair.
Oregon State took the lead for good in the top of the third off Berger (1-2) as they got two-run homers from DH Jason Ogata and third baseman Drew George to make it 5-1. That began a parade of eight Aztec relievers, none of whom were able to quiet the OSU bats. After adding a single marker in the fourth and two in the fifth, George struck again, belting a grand slam in the sixth that essentially ended the contest. The Beaver third baseman ended the afternoon with four hits, four runs scored and six runs batted in.
Oregon State starter Josh Osich was denied the victory when he was relieved with two out in the fifth, but Josh Keller (1-0) came on for 2.1 innings of work and claimed his first win of the season.
SDSU was limited to eight hits on the afternoon, two of those by Willeford, who was making his first start of the season. The senior from Rancho Cordova also drew a walk and scored one of his team's three runs.
San Diego will now prepare to open its league season as it hosts Brigham Young for a three-game series beginning Thursday evening (March 13) at 6:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium.