The Oregon State Beavers batsmen needed more than seven innings to awaken from their protracted offseason hibernation.
But they did wake up at last, oh boy.
In a season-opening game in Surprise, Arizona, the Beavers defeated the Xavier Musketeers 8-3 thanks to three home runs in their final two offensive innings, including a soaring go-ahead drive from transfer shortstop Aiva Arquette.
No. 7 Oregon State (1-0) opened a season with big expectations thanks to late-inning pyrotechnics and an outstanding victory over a Musketeers club that was predicted to finish second in the Big East Conference. Indeed, for the better part of seven innings, Xavier (0-1) gave the Beavers everything they could stand.
Oregon State’s bats vanished after putting five runners on base and scored a run in the opening 1 1/3 innings.
A raucous crowd of 2,880 at Surprise Stadium wondered if all the offseason excitement around the Oregon State lineup was warranted when Xavier starter Jake Hooker and reliever Ben Weber retired 15 straight Beavers batters from the second inning through the seventh.
Despite only managing one strikeout over the dominant period, Hooker and Weber expertly varied pitches and kept OSU hitters off balance, resulting in a flurry of harmless groundouts and fly balls that looked like cans of corn.
Oregon State had only managed one hit and was facing an unexpected 3-1 deficit when Beavers catcher Wilson Weberg rounded out to third to start the bottom of the seventh inning. Then everything was different.
The designated hitterThe Beavers had two runners on base with two outs and their two preseason All-Americans heading to the plate after Tyce Peterson broke the drought with a five-pitch walk and AJ Singer followed a groundout with another walk. It was entertaining for that partisan audience and had a lot of drama.
The third basemanPeterson scored from second base as Trent Caraway, who was hitting in the former leadoff position of Travis Bazzana, crushed a run-scoring single to left-center. Additionally, the ball bounced away after Xavier left fielder Carter Hendrickson caught the liner and hit a one-hopper to the cutoff man, enabling Singer to sprint home from first base and tie the score at three.
Arquette came to the plate as a result. And the Beavers’ ostentatious addition to the transfer portal did not let everyone down, hitting a two-run homer off a 2-2 fastball to deep center. After crossing home plate, Arquette celebrated his biggest swing yet with the Beavers by high-fiving Caraway, flexing, and letting out a yell as the blast flew onto the hill beyond the fence.
However, the fireworks continued.
A little insurance was added and the floodgates were opened when Jacob Krieg and Weber hit back-to-back home runs to start the eighth inning. Weber hit a 1-1 fastball high onto the hill in center, and Krieg smashed a 2-1 pitch into the left field bullpen.
The Beavers got off to a strong start to the season when cleanup hitter Gavin Turley added a bases-loaded walk later in the inning.
Caraway (1 for 3, two RBIs), Arquette (1 for 3, two RBIs), and Turley (1 for 3, RBI, two walks) were among the six Beavers who recorded a hit.
In contrast, Xavier was dismissed by Oregon State’s pitching.
In his maiden start as the Beavers’ new ace, Nelson Keljo was occasionally domineering and occasionally annoying. In four innings, he did not give up a hit and recorded five strikeouts, but he also gave up five walks.
Xavier placed two runners on base in the first, third, and fourth innings, forcing the junior left-hander to work out of jams despite his command issues. He left the game after throwing 71 and came in according to a rigid early-season pitch count.
After relieving an inconsistent AJ Hutcheson in the middle of an at-bat with one out in the fifth inning, Eric Segura (1-0) earned the victory in relief but was hardly dominating. The sophomore right-hander coughed up a single home run in the seventh inning after giving up a sacrifice fly and allowing a run on a wild pitch in the fifth.
However, he persisted in his new role out of the bullpen for 2 2/3 innings, giving up two singles, walking three, and striking out three.Morrelland, MatthewTo complete the victory, Joey Mundt combined to give up only one hit in the final two innings.
Next up: The Beavers’ second of four games in Surprise will take place against UNLV on Saturday at 11 a.m.
503-294-5183 | @BlazerFreeman|@freemanjoe.bsky.social| Joe Freeman|[email protected]| Get the newest news and the best stories by subscribing to The Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts.
