Two teams headed in opposite directions clashed Tuesday night at Goss Stadium in Corvallis and nothing changed.
Oregon State won its seventh straight and Oregon kept reeling and the Beavers took a 4-1 non-conference win. The Beavers improved to 10-3 while the Ducks dropped to 5-7.
Lately it's been the bullpen that has let the Ducks down, but it was the Oregon offense that was a no-show against its in-state rival. The Ducks had two rallies with the bases loaded and less than two out and came away with only one run in the fifth inning and nothing - zippo - in the seventh.
Connor Hofmann blooped a one-out double to left to get things started in the seventh for Oregon. J.J. Altobelli walked and KC Serna loaded the bases with a perfect bunt down the third base line. Already down 4-1, Oregon needed to score at least two to make a game of it.
Coach George Horton elected for the big hit by pinch hitting Paul Eshleman for Marcus Piazzisi but the decision didn't pan out as hoped when Eshleman went down swinging. Jack Marder flew out to right to end Oregon's last threat.
The Beavers got on the board in the first inning when Andrew Susac singled home Garrett Nash with a line shot to center off of Oregon starter Alex Keudell.
Keudell settled down but was victimized by a couple of seeing-eye singles in the third. A wild pitch scored one run, then Ryan Dunn singled home Susac, giving the Beavers a 3-0 lead. Keudell wound out going 4.1 innings, allowing all four runs on eight hits, striking out five and walking two.
On the other side of the diamond, Beaver freshman Scott Schultz was keeping the Duck hitters off balanced just enough to hold them at bay. He also pitched 4.1 innings, allowing just one run on four hits.
The Ducks had their first big scoring chance in the fifth when Schultz hit Danny Pulfer and Hofmann with pitches. But Schultz slipped off the hook when Pulfer was caught leaning at second on a failed bunt attempt and was picked off.
Altobelli kept the inning alive with a single and Serna was walked. The Ducks plated their only run on a fielder's choice on Piazzisi's ground ball to second. With runners on second and third with two out and down 3-1, Tony Bryant came back from a 3-1 count to strike out Marder to end the inning.
Bryant was credited with the win and Matt Boyd, who pitched the final 2.2 innings earned the save.
Oregon will try to get back on the winning track Thursday when it hosts BYU to start a three-game series at PK Park. The Cougars - another team heading in a different direction than the Ducks - is 8-4 and just took a pair of 7-6 victories over Portland.
