Oregon State wasn’t about to let its postseason run end quietly. Fueled by an early offensive explosion and strong pitching, the Beavers dominated USC 14-1 on Sunday night in front of 4,347 fans at Goss Stadium.
The win forces a decisive Game 7 in the Corvallis Regional, with a Super Regional spot on the line Monday at 3 p.m. PT on ESPNU.
Caraway Powers the Beavers
Trent Caraway continued his red-hot streak, going 3-for-4 with a double and a towering home run in the sixth inning—his fourth homer in as many games.
The long ball stretched Oregon State’s lead to 7-1 and effectively sealed the victory. Caraway also drove in two runs and led a lineup that saw six different Beavers collect multiple hits.
Peterson’s Big Night
Tyce Peterson was nearly unstoppable at the plate, notching a career-high four hits and reaching base consistently. He helped spark a four-run second inning with an RBI single and finished the day with seven hits across two games.
Pitching Holds Strong
Starter Wyatt Queen battled through 4 1/3 innings, giving up one run on eight hits while striking out five. When he exited with the bases loaded, reliever Kellan Oakes took over and slammed the door. Oakes struck out two to escape the jam and added two more strikeouts over the next inning and two-thirds to earn the win and improve to 3-0.
Freshman Zach Kmatz came in to close and was electric. He threw three scoreless innings and struck out seven to record his first collegiate save.
Early Offense Sets the Tone
Oregon State wasted no time putting pressure on USC. The Beavers bunted their way to a four-run second inning, with small ball playing a huge role. Canon Reeder and Dallas Macias both laid down RBI bunts, Peterson followed with a single, and Easton Talt added a sacrifice bunt for the fourth run.
The Beavers didn’t let up. In the third, Gavin Turley smashed his 17th homer of the year to make it 5-1, and Caraway followed with an RBI double. Oregon State poured it on late, scoring twice in the seventh and eighth and once more in the ninth to cap off the blowout.
What’s Next
Oregon State (44-13-1) and USC (37-22) will face off one final time on Monday afternoon in the winner-take-all Game 7 of the Corvallis Regional. The victor advances to the NCAA Super Regional to face Florida State.
Beaver Bites: Notable Notes from Sunday
- The crowd of 4,347 was the second-largest ever at Goss Stadium, just behind the 4,368 from earlier in the day against Saint Mary’s.
- Oregon State has drawn 87,956 fans over 23 home dates, averaging 3,824 per game.
- The Beavers have now scored 89 runs in the third inning alone this season, while allowing just 20.
- In total, Oregon State has outscored opponents 171-64 over the first three innings of games.
- The Beavers racked up 34 runs on 38 hits Sunday, including five home runs and nine doubles across both games.
- Caraway became the first OSU player to homer in four straight games since Travis Bazzana did it in five consecutive contests last season.
- The pitching staff struck out 23 batters across 18 innings on Sunday.
Oregon State heads into Monday with momentum, offense, and a crowd ready to push them one step closer to Omaha.
