April 3, 2011
Oregon State 8, Arizona 4 (Box Score)
TUCSON, Ariz. - Momentum gained from a 10-4 victory on Saturday carried over into Sunday for No. 23 Oregon State as the Beavers raced out to a 7-1 lead after three innings and held on for an 8-4 series-clinching victory over No. 18 Arizona on Sunday afternoon at Kindall Field/Sancet Stadium.
Oregon State (20-7, 2-1 Pac-10) roughed up Wildcat starter Tyler Hale, who surrendered seven earned runs in 2.2 innings on the mound. The right-hander, who fell to 3-2 on the season, gave up 10 hits and walked one in his shortest outing of the season.
The Beavers scored a run in the first frame and, after Steve Selsky's RBI double tied the game 1-1 in the bottom half of the inning, added five more runs in the top of the second. A lone run in the third inning pushed the visitor's lead to 7-1.
Arizona (20-9, 2-4 Pac-10) settled down the rest of the way as Konner Wade, Nick Cunningham and Bryce Bandilla pitched 5.1 scoreless innings of relief to keep the Beavers off the scoreboard over the fourth through eighth innings.
The Wildcats cut into a six-run deficit in the home half of the sixth inning. Robert Refsnyder launched a two-run home run to left field - his third of the season - to cut the lead to 7-3.
Arizona threatened again in the seventh inning, but left a pair of runners on base.
Oregon State scratched home an insurance run in the ninth inning to extend a four-run margin to an 8-3 advantage.
The Wildcats mounted a rally in the bottom of the ninth. But after loading the bases with no outs, Arizona scored just one run to set the score at its final, 8-4.
Starter Ben Wetzler picked up the victory for the Beavers. The left-hander turned in six innings of work with three runs allowed on seven hits. Tony Bryant recorded the final three outs of the game in a non-save situation.
Arizona will turn its attention to four home games this coming week. The Wildcats host No. 5 Arizona State in a non-conference game at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 5, before welcoming No. 13 California to town for a three-game weekend conference series April 8-10.
