CORVALLIS, Ore. – Sophomore Brandon Larson and junior Jimmy Nati each contributed three-RBI doubles, and junior Charlie Saum launched a go-ahead solo home run leading off the ninth, as Stanford (14-19, 7-8 Pac-12) defeated No. 5 Oregon State (29-5, 10-4 Pac-12) 11-10 on Sunday to salvage a three-game series played at Goss Stadium over the weekend.
Trevor Haskins put the Cardinal on the board first with a solo homer – his third round-tripper of the season – leading off the third inning to kick off what proved to be a back-and-forth contest. The Cardinal would add an RBI-triple from Cort MacDonald and a run-scoring ground ball from Malcolm Moore to make it a three-run third for Stanford.
Cardinal starter Toran O'Harran looked strong in the spot start, striking out five through two scoreless innings, before turning the ball over to Nick Dugan out of the bullpen after allowing a pair of singles to start the bottom of the third. Dugan walked Travis Bazzana to load the bases and Gavin Turley launched a no-doubt grand slam to left-center field to put the Beavers on top 4-3.
Larson reclaimed the Cardinal lead in the fifth with a bases-clearing three-RBI double shot into left-center field. Stanford loaded the bases on singles from Ethan Hott and Moore in front of a hit-by-pitch of Nati, setting the table for Larson's one-out gapper to push the tally to 6-4.
Wilson Weber threw the next punch for Oregon State, drawing the Beavers within a run at 6-5 with a solo home run to left-center field leading off the bottom of the sixth.
Oregon State once again took the lead in the seventh, plating two runs on three hits – including a go-ahead RBI-single from Dallas Macias just past the outstretched glove of a diving Larson at first base with two outs. Bazzana got the inning started with a single before a walk to Turley put the first two aboard with nobody out. Mason Guerra cashed in on the opportunity, tying the game at 6-6 with a single to drive home Bazanna. The Cardinal managed to relieve some pressure on the ensuing play as Nati fielded a ball at third, stepped on the bag and fired across the diamond for a double play, but Macias, who had homered in the first two games of the series, hurt the Cardinal once more by lacing a single into right field to score Guerra without a throw.
Continuing the back-and-forth battle, Stanford struck for four runs in the eighth to take a 10-7 lead. Free passes got the rally going for the Cardinal as Luke Lavin reached in front of a walk to Haskins. The Cardinal elected to put a bunt down to try to move the runners, but a throwing error charged to pitcher AJ Hutcheson as he fielded, spun and fired to third allowed pinch-runner Saborn Campbell to slide safely into third base and load the bags. A third free pass, this time a hit-by-pitch to MacDonald, brought home the game-tying seventh run. Oregon State nearly escaped the jam by inducing a pop up off the bat of Moore, but Nati laced a three-RBI double inside the bag at third to hang a four up on the board in the frame.
The bases-clearing double was the third hit of the day for Nati, as he finished 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles.
Refusing to allow Stanford to gain any momentum, a pinch-hit home run from Easton Talt made it 10-8 and a walk to Jacob Krieg ended Dugan's day after five innings pitched. Kassius Thomas entered out of the bullpen and hit the first man he faced, but induced a huge double play ball off the bat of Bazzana for the first two outs. Ben Reimers was then summoned to face Turley who hammered his second home run of the day out to left field one pitch after a borderline 2-2 offering went his way, tying the game at 10-10 headed to the ninth.
Leading off the top of the ninth inning, Saum unloaded on the first pitch he saw and deposited it over the wall in left-center for what proved to be the game-winner. The home run was Saum's fifth of the season.
Stanford will return to action on Tuesday when it hosts Sacramento State at 6 p.m. from Sunken Diamond.
GAME NOTES:
- Stanford snapped a four-game losing streak with the Sunday victory, but has dropped 13 of the last 19 after winning seven of its previous eight … four-game losing streak was the longest of the season.
- The Cardinal handed Oregon State its first home loss of the season (19-1).
- Reimers (1.0 IP, H, ER, BB) was credited with the victory and moved to 3-1 on the season.
- Freshman Joey Volchko recorded the final out in the ninth, stranding the tying run at first and converting his first career save.
- Eight of Stanford's 12 hits went for extra-bases in the victory (five doubles, a triple, two home runs)
- Trevor Haskins (2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, RBI)
- Nati (3-for-4, R, 2 2B, 3 RBIs) has hit safely in all but nine games this season, and has reached in all but seven … posted his team-best 13th multi-hit game of the season.
- MacDonald (1-for-4, 2 R, 3B, 2 RBIs) has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games, and 16 of his last 18, and has reached safely in all but three games this year … has hit safely in all but four contests on the season ... was ejected in the top of the eighth inning.
- Moore was ejected prior to the start of the top of the ninth inning.