No. 5 Oregon State Powers Past Huskers

No. 5 Oregon State belted a ballpark-record eight home runs, as the Huskers fell 16-5 in seven innings to the Beavers at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park on Saturday afternoon.

Nebraska (11-15) scored five runs on 12 hits, while Oregon State (20-5) totaled 16 runs and 12 hits.

Tyler Stone was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, followed by Devin Nunez with a 2-for-5 afternoon and an RBI. Cael Frost homered for the third consecutive game, while Gabe Swansen had a pinch-hit two-RBI single. Cayden Brumbaugh, Colin Cymbalista, Dylan Carey, Will Jesske, Max Buettenback and Joshua Overbeek tallied one hit apiece.

Ty Horn dropped to 0-4 on the year after giving up five runs on six hits with four strikeouts and a walk in three innings. Carson Jasa and Pryce Bender allowed a combined eight runs on four hits in two innings, while Colin Nowaczyk and Grant Cleavinger tossed an inning each.

The Beavers struck first in the opening frame with a one-out solo homer into the berm in left-center field off the bat of Aiva Arquette.

The NU offense threatened in the bottom of the first with the bases loaded and two outs, but a three-pitch strikeout put a halt to the Big Red’s threat.

Oregon State’s lead grew to three in the second inning after a leadoff double down the left-field line, followed by a two-run home run to right by Jacob Krieg.

A pair of solo home runs from Gavin Turley and Wilson Weber had the Beavers ahead 5-0 in the top of the third.

Nebraska had runners on first and second after Sanderson was hit by the pitch and a single from Brumbaugh. Stone laced an RBI double to the left-center alley to bring home Sanderson and plate NU’s first run of the afternoon. Carey drew a full-count walk to load the bases for the Huskers with one out, but the next two batters were retired to keep it a 5-1 game through three innings.

An RBI single, followed by Turley’s grand slam to center enlarged the lead to 9-1 in the fourth inning for the Beavers. Oregon State tacked on three more runs with Easton Talt’s three-run shot down the right-field line to give OSU a 12-1 advantage through five innings.

Turley opened the sixth inning with a solo home run to right, becoming the first NU opponent with a three-homer game since Arizona State’s Jeff Larish in the 2005 College World Series.

Frost drilled a first-pitch solo homer to right field to begin the bottom of the sixth inning for his third consecutive game with a home run this week. Buettenback reached on a two-out single, and Sanderson drew a four-pitch walk to put runners on first and second for the Big Red with two outs.

Nunez plated Buettenback from second with an RBI single through the left side to make it 14-3 through six innings.

Oregon State’s eighth homer of the afternoon was a two-run shot in the top of the seventh that gave the visitors a 16-3 advantage.

The Huskers began the bottom of the seventh inning with runners on second and third after Cymbalista’s single and a double from Carey. Swansen plated the pair with a pinch-hit two-RBI single through the right side.

Jesske and Overbeek reached on singles after Swansen to load the bases with one out, but the next two NU hitters were retired to clinch OSU’s 16-5 win in seven innings on Saturday.

Nebraska and Oregon State conclude the weekend series Sunday at 12:02 p.m. CT at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.