Oregon State’s early-season resilience was on full display Saturday afternoon in Surprise, Arizona, as the No. 12 Beavers clawed back from a late deficit to knock off No.
24 Arizona in a 7-6 thriller. It wasn’t always clean - the bullpen had its shaky moments - but when the bats needed to come alive, they delivered in a big way.
Let’s start with the seventh inning - the turning point in a game that had slipped out of Oregon State’s hands just an inning earlier. Down 5-3 and staring at a potential 0-2 start, the Beavers’ offense put together a five-run rally that flipped the script.
Jacob Galloway, who finished 2-for-3 on the day, came up with a clutch double that plated two and set the tone for the inning. That opened the floodgates.
Two hit batters later, the bases were loaded for Easton Talt. The sophomore outfielder, who had already scored the game’s opening run, delivered again - this time lacing a 2-1 pitch into right-center to drive in two more and give Oregon State the lead. Nyan Hayes added the insurance with a single that brought home Tyler Inge, capping a rally that was as gritty as it was timely.
That offensive outburst bailed out a bullpen that had let Arizona back into the game in the sixth. Oregon State starter Ethan Kleinschmit was sharp through five, striking out nine and limiting the Wildcats to just one run despite a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fifth. He worked out of it with poise, allowing only a sac fly before shutting the door with back-to-back strikeouts.
But the sixth inning was a different story. Zach Edwards came on in relief and couldn’t record an out, giving up four straight singles as Arizona tied the game and then took the lead on a fielder’s choice. A base hit from Mathias Meurant pushed the score to 5-3, and suddenly Oregon State was on its heels.
Enter Noah Scott, who stabilized things just enough to give the offense a chance to respond. He went 2 1/3 innings in relief, giving up one run on three walks while striking out five. After retiring five straight, Scott ran into trouble in the ninth with two one-out walks, putting the tying run on base.
That’s when Albert Roblez was called upon to shut the door - and he did just that. After giving up an RBI single that made it a one-run game, Roblez locked in and struck out the next two hitters to earn his first save in a Beavers uniform. It wasn’t pretty, but it was enough to preserve the win and even Oregon State’s early-season record at 1-1.
On the Arizona side, Smith Bailey gave the Wildcats a solid start, going six innings with four strikeouts and allowing just two runs. But the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead. Benton Hickman took the loss after being charged with two runs in just a third of an inning - both coming on that pivotal Galloway double.
For Oregon State, this win won’t go down as a masterpiece, but it might prove to be one of those early-season gut checks that pays dividends down the line. They found themselves in a hole, leaned on their bats, and got just enough from the bullpen to pull out a win against a ranked opponent. That’s the kind of character you want to see in February.
Next up: a Sunday matchup against Stanford. If Saturday’s comeback is any indication, the Beavers are just getting warmed up.