SURPRISE, Ariz. – Nick Madrigal went 4-for-4 in his collegiate debut as the fifth-ranked Oregon State baseball team held off Ball State for a 7-6 win Friday afternoon at Surprise Stadium.

Max Engelbrekt, making his first appearance since 2014, came on to the save the game, stranding a runner via a game-ending strikeout. With the win, the Beavers won their seventh consecutive season opener.

Madrigal highlighted Oregon State’s day on offense, which saw the Beavers tally 13 hits. The freshman singled four times, and drove in a run in the first inning via a sacrifice fly to right field.

All told, seven different Beavers recorded at least one hit – the team’s No. 1-4 batters (Madrigal, Christian Donahue, Trever Morrison and KJ Harrison) – combined to go 9-for-17 with five runs batted in.

Donahue, Morrison and Jack Anderson all had two hits in the win.

Drew Rasmussen made the opening day start, and worked 5 2/3 innings. He picked up the win after striking out three with two walks.

Ryan Spaulding doubled to center to open the top of the ninth with the Beavers holding a one-run lead. Engelbrekt proceeded to get Alex Call on a groundball to third before striking out Jarett Rindfleisch and Caleb Stayton to end the game.

The Beavers chased Ball State starter Zach Plesac with a three-run fourth inning that saw OSU overtake an early 2-1 lead by the Cardinals. Steven Kwan pushed the Beavers to a 2-2 tie when he drove in Kyle Nobach on a squeeze. Christian Donahue drove in the go-ahead run when he doubled to left, then scored OSU’s fourth run of the game on Madrigal’s second single of the game, a line drive to center.

Plesac allowed four runs – three earned – and eight hits over four innings. He took the loss.

Down 2-1 after three, the Beavers rallied for three runs in the fourth. The Cardinals scored one in the sixth before OSU tacked on three more in the bottom half of the inning. Ball State scored its final three in the seventh before Bryce Fehmel, making his collegiate debut, got OSU of the inning via a strikeout.

Oregon State returns to action Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. PT versus Utah Valley.

– Via Oregon State University Athletic Communications