OMAHA, Neb. — Gavin Turley doubled home Aiva Arquette in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving Oregon State a walk-off 4-3 over Louisville in a Men’s College World Series opening-round game on Friday night.
The Beavers (48-14-1) needed the late dramatics after blowing a 3-1 lead in the top of the ninth when Louisville (40-23) benefitted from two Oregon State throwing errors on the same play.
Turley, the Beavers’ career leader in homers and RBIs, went 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Arquette finished 3-for-5.
In the top of the ninth, Zion Rose hit a leadoff triple and scored on Tague Davis’ single to center, bringing the Cardinals within 3-2. After a pinch runner was caught stealing, the double-error play put a runner at third, and Kamau Neighbors hit a game-tying single.
The Beavers recovered when Arquette hit a one-out single and came home on Turley’s double.
Kellan Oakes (5-0) got the win despite blowing the lead. Jake Schweitzer (4-3) took the loss.
Pitching dominated most of the night, as Oregon State’s Dax Whitney and Louisville’s Patrick Forbes combined for 19 strikeouts, 11 in the first three innings. Whitney allowed an unearned run in 5 1/3 innings while fanning nine and walking one. Forbes permitted three runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 frames with 10 strikeouts and a walk.
Oregon State scored twice in the fourth on four hits, a wild pitch and an RBI groundout. Louisville got on the board in the sixth on an RBI infield single, only to see the Beavers get that run back in the bottom of the inning via a fielding error.
The Beavers will face Coastal Carolina (54-11) in a winners-bracket game on Sunday, while Louisville gets Arizona (44-20) in an elimination contest on Sunday.
–Brian J. Pedersen, Field Level Media
