May 5, 2012
CORVALLIS, Ore.-- Jace Fry (5-3) pitched a five-hitter as Oregon State (29-15, 10-10 Pac-12) held on to defeat No. 7-ranked Stanford (29-13, 11-9 Pac-12) 4-2 on Saturday afternoon to even the three-game series.
Two of the five hits came in the ninth, as Fry walked four and struck out two.
Following a walk and one-out single by Austin Wilson, his second of the game, Alex Blandino cut the lead in half with a two-run double.
The freshman lefthander had scattered three hits over the first eight scoreless innings, prior to Stanford having two chances to tie it in the ninth. A strikeout and groundout though stranded Blandino at second.
Stanford was forced to use its bullpen, tossing six pitchers, after starter Brett Mooneyham was a late morning scratch (flu) from the lineup.
Saturday's staff gave up single runs in the first and fourth inning, before a two-run error in the seventh doubled the OSU lead. The staff combined to walk four and strike out four, scattering four hits.
Dean McArdle (3-2) pitched the first 2.0 innings, giving up a leadoff homer to Ryan Barnes, before striking out the side in the first. He pitched a scoreless second, before yielding to the bullpen.
A sacrifice fly against Garrett Hughes in the fourth gave OSU a 2-0 lead, as Hughes and David Schmidt each pitched 2.0 innings until the seventh.
Elliott Byers in his first appearance since April 11, loaded the bases in the seventh, before third baseman, Blandino's, throwing error with two outs allowed two more runs to score. Spenser Linney and then A.J. Talt finally finished the inning without any further damage.
NOTES: Brian Ragira's 10-game hit streak came to an end, going 0-for-4.… Alex Blandino made a diving catch of a popup just in front of the third base bag in the eighth. Blandino now has four doubles this weekend in two games.. Sunday's game is at 1 p.m. There is no midweek game this week as the Cardinal return home to host Washington State next weekend.