Box Score

CORVALLIS, Ore. --- The No. 17 Oregon State Beavers recovered from an early deficit to claim an 8-2 win over the Portland Pilots in a non-conference baseball game played on Tuesday night at Goss Stadium. The eight runs are the second most allowed in a game this season for the Pilots, who entered the game leading the nation with a team ERA of 2.00.
 
The loss drops Portland’s overall record to 16-7, while the Beavers improve to 18-8 with their 13th straight win over the Pilots.
 
It looked good early for the Pilots when senior shortstop Kris Kauppila led the game off with a double to right-center field. A few batters later, freshman outfield Caleb Whalen drove Kauppila in with a single to left field to hand the Pilots a 1-0 lead.
 
UP still held a 1-0 lead when Oregon State finally got on the board with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third. Michael Conforto drove in the first run with a one-out single, while the go-ahead run scored on a Portland error.
 
After the Beavers took a 4-1 advantage with two more runs in the fourth, the Pilots cut the deficit in half in the top of the fifth inning. With two outs, sophomore DH Turner Gill earned a walk before ending up on second base courtesy a passed ball. Junior first baseman Brian Frattali then took full advantage with an RBI single to left field to pull the Pilots within 4-2.
 
But the Beavers responded with four unanswered runs. Two came in the bottom of the sixth inning, while the final two runs came an inning later.
 
UP junior starter Matt McCallister (3-1) takes his first loss of the season after surrendering four runs, three earned, in 3.0 innings. The right-hander struck out two and gave up seven hits. Five Portland relievers followed McCallister on the mound.
 
Oregon State also used six pitchers, with reliever Scott Schultz (2-0) earning the win. Schultz tossed 3.1 scoreless innings in relief of starter Riley Wilkerson, who was pulled after facing just two batters in the top of the first.
 
The Pilots next return home to host the San Francisco Dons for a three-game West Coast Conference series later this week. The Pilots and Dons are set to play a double header at Joe Etzel Field on Thursday, with the first game set for 12 p.m. UP and USF will then take Friday off before playing the series finale at 1 p.m. on Saturday.