Another day, another late-game rally.
Only this time, the Oregon State baseball team didn’t wait until the final inning.
The third-ranked Beavers used a seven-run eighth inning to break a scoreless tie and defeat the Utah Utes 8-1 Saturday in the second game of a three-game series at Smith’s Ballpark.
It was the 12th win in a row for Oregon State (17-1, 2-0 Pac-12) and the second time in as many days it flexed a little late-game moxie to keep the streak alive. In Friday’s series opener, the Beavers used a five-run ninth to stun the Utes with a 7-5 comeback.
The rally wasn’t nearly as dramatic in Game 2 — the Beavers bulldozed Utah (11-6, 2-3) with a backbreaking eighth, scoring seven runs on five hits as they sent 11 batters to the plate.
Travis Bazzana delivered the first blow, ripping a one-out double to left-center with the bases loaded, scoring Jabin Trosky and Wilson Weber with the go-ahead runs. The Golden Spikes Award candidate clobbered a 1-0 pitch the other way, finishing the play by sliding into second base and pumping his fist in celebration.
The rest of the inning was merely gravy for a relentless offense hitting .327 and averaging 9.5 runs and 10.8 hits per game this season.
Micah McDowell followed with a sacrifice fly and, in what felt like the blink of an eye, the Beavers had turned a flip-a-coin game into a laugher. Jacob Krieg smacked an RBI single, Dallas Macias smoked a two-run triple to the right field corner and Gavin Turley ripped a run-scoring single to left.
The Beavers added a run in the ninth, when McDowell drove in Elijah Hainline with another sacrifice fly, and the Beavers cruised to another win, clinching their first Pac-12 series of the season.
Bazzana went 3 for 6 with two doubles and two RBIs, Mason Guerra finished with two hits and Macias added two hits and two RBIs as Oregon State continued its longest winning streak since 2017, when it won 23 in a row.
Jacob Kmatz had another strong start for the Beavers, throwing five scoreless innings to finish with a no-decision. The junior right-hander allowed one hit and three walks, while striking out three, in a 72-pitch outing.
The bullpen took over from there, allowing just one run over the final four innings. Kellan Oakes (2-0) earned the win with two scoreless innings, striking out three and surrendering three hits in the seventh and eighth.
Next up: The Beavers will look for a sweep on Sunday, when the teams play the series finale at 11 a.m.
— Joe Freeman | jfreeman@oregonian.com | 503-294-5183 | @BlazerFreeman | Subscribe to The Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.