In a tough matchup at the Round Rock Classic, Oregon State's hopes were dashed by Southern Miss, who handed the No. 11 Beavers a 9-4 defeat. The game, held at Dell Diamond, showcased the highs and lows of baseball, as Oregon State's starting pitcher, Ethan Kleinschmit, initially dazzled but ultimately faced challenges.
Kleinschmit was on fire early, retiring 14 batters in a row after allowing a solo homer in the first inning. His command and precision had the Southern Miss lineup stymied through five innings.
However, the sixth inning turned the tide. Joey Urban sparked the Eagles' rally with a one-out triple, scoring on Matthew Russo's single.
Davis Gillespie then delivered a two-run homer, putting Southern Miss ahead and ending Kleinschmit's night. Despite striking out 10, Kleinschmit's final line showed four runs on five hits and a walk.
Oregon State had its moment in the fourth inning when Jacob Krieg launched a three-run homer to give them the lead. But Southern Miss, ranked No. 20, proved resilient.
Grayden Harris pitched five strong innings for the Eagles, allowing three runs, two earned, while striking out eight. Camden Sunstrom came in for the save, giving up an unearned run and striking out eight over four innings.
The seventh inning saw Urban and Gillespie extend Southern Miss's lead, with Urban driving in two more runs and Gillespie adding another RBI. Oregon State's bullpen struggled, using four relievers in the inning. Nyan Hayes tried to spark a comeback with an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh, but the Beavers couldn't close the gap.
Southern Miss continued to apply pressure, with Jack Giordano issuing a bases-loaded walk in the eighth and another run crossing the plate in the ninth, sealing the victory.
Oregon State will look to bounce back as they face Purdue on Sunday at 9 a.m. PT, hoping to end the weekend on a high note.