CORVALLIS, Ore. – Steven Kwan’s two-out single to left scored Preston Jones from second in the ninth inning, sending top-ranked Oregon State to a 5-4 win over Utah Friday night at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field.
Jack Anderson reached on a two-out error, then moved to second when KJ Harrison singled past third. Jones pinch ran for Anderson and Kwan, who came on as a pinch hitter in the eighth, drove a 2-2 pitch from Utah reliever Dylan Drachler into left center, allowing Jones to score easily from second.
The win pushed the Beavers to 21 consecutive victories, the longest streak in the nation in 2017. It stretches the school record for consecutive wins and pushes Oregon State to two shy of the conference record of 23 set by Arizona State in 1988.
Oregon State improved to 26-1 overall and 10-0 in league play, while Utah dropped to 12-14 overall and 3-7 against conference foes.
The Beavers scored two in the first and a solo run in the fourth to take a 3-0 lead. Utah, however, took a 4-3 lead after one in both the fifth and seventh innings and two in the eighth. Oregon State tied the game at four on a pinch-hit RBI single from Andy Atwood.
Jake Mulholland earned the win for Oregon State, improving to 3-0 with 1 2/3 innings of work. Drachler was saddled with the loss after giving up five hits and two runs in 1 2/3 innings. He dropped to 0-2.
Luke Heimlich started for the Beavers and worked 6 2/3 innings, scattering six hits and a pair of runs while striking out eight.
Heimlich’s counterpart, Jayson Rose, worked seven innings, allowing five hits and three runs.
First Inning, Again
The Beavers scored first for the 20th time this season, and in eight of 11 games at home. The two-run first inning gave Oregon State 31 in the first inning this season, compared to four for opponents. In the first two innings, OSU has a combined advantage of 53-11.
Heimlich Going At Least Six
Luke Heimlich worked 6 2/3 innings, giving him at least six innings of work in seven consecutive starts. The lefty has struck out at least eight in six of his eight starts this season.
Assorted Numbers
Oregon State improved to 11-0 when wearing its black uniform tops, and 5-0 in games at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field. Overall, the Beavers are 11-0 at Goss this season, with a 4-0 mark in Pac-12 action. OSU is also 20-0 overall when scoring first – 8-0 at home – and 16-0 when getting a quality start. Oregon State pitchers have nine of those 16 quality starts at Goss.
Next Up
Oregon State and Utah continue the series Saturday with a 1:35 p.m. PT first pitch at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field.
Honoring 2007
Members of the 2007 National Championship team will return to Goss Stadium Saturday, and pre-game, fans have an opportunity to meet returning players and get their autographs. The group is scheduled to start signing autographs at 12:30 p.m. PT outside Goss Stadium, behind home plate. The first 250 fans at Goss Stadium will receive a commemorative t-shirt celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the title.
- Via Oregon State Athletic Communications
