OSU gets baseball win, Gerber gets hit
May 8, 1999
LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Oregon State got 4 1/3 scoreless innings from its bullpen and Joe Gerber was 3-for-3 with a home run to extend his hitting streak to 21 games as the Beavers held off UCLA 7-5 in Pacific-10 baseball Friday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium. OSU relievers Hal Ranstad and Mike Gits kept the game within reach until a run-scoring double by Josh Carter and an RBI single by Rod Gott put the Beavers up for good in the top of the seventh inning.
The Beavers (16-33 overall, 4-15 Pacific-10) and Bruins (26-27, 10-9) continue their series at 1 p.m. Saturday and wrap it up at 1 p.m. Sunday. Fridays game saw the lead change hands five times, and it marked the first time this season that OSU has won the opening game of a conference series.
"We played a team game," OSU head coach Pat Casey said. "We went out and played the game. We made a couple of mistakes, but we overcame them, and thats something weve had trouble doing. UCLA had won nine of their last 10 games in the conference and was probably the hottest team in the league - for us to come down and compete the way we did, I hope thats a lift to our program, our players and everybody else."
UCLA picked up five runs off Oregon State starting pitcher Mark Newell in the first five innings, but Ranstad finished off the fifth and pitched a scoreless sixth. OSU took a 6-5 lead in the top of the seventh; when Ranstad walked the first hitter in the bottom of the inning, he gave way to Gits, who worked the final three innings.
"Weve had situations where we felt in control of the game but we hadnt been able to hold a lead," Casey said. "It was nice to see some people come in and hold a lead for us."
Ranstad got the win, improving to 2-1 this season as he allowed one hit and one walk while striking out one in 1 1/3 innings. Gits picked up his first career save, allowing one hit and walking two while striking out two.
"That was some great relief pitching," said Gerber, who watched the two work from his position at first base. "Its about time we pulled out a win. We took a lead into the ninth inning and did what we had to do. Mike Gits did a great job, and Hal did, too."
Gerber moved his hitting streak to 21 games in his first at-bat. He checked his swing at a full-count pitch from Ryan Carter but it hit the handle of his bat and rolled slowly down the third-base line for an infield single that scored Eric Stark from third.
There was little doubt about Gerbers second hit, though, as he drove a Carter pitch on a line just over the right-field fence in the third inning for a two-run homer that put OSU up 3-2. Gerber added a single in the fourth inning, then walked and scored in both the seventh and ninth innings.
OSU went in front for good in the seventh after Gerber led off with a walk and was sacrificed to second by Brian Duerr. UCLA brought in closer Chad Cislak to face Josh Carter, who drove the ball down the third baseline and all the way to the wall for a double that scored Gerber to tie the game. Carter reached third on a wild pitch, then Rod Gott fouled off three pitches with two strikes against him before singling up the middle to drive in Carter for a 6-5 OSU lead.
The Beavers picked up an insurance run in the top of the ninth. Gerber again started it with a walk, was balked to third was sacrificed to second by Duerr; then Carter singled over the head of drawn-in first baseman Garrett Atkins to drive in Gerber.
Carter was 3-for-3 for the Beavers and Willkie was 2-for-5. Bryan Ingram added a homer to left to lead off the fourth inning for OSU.
Gerbers homer moved him into a tie for fourth place on OSUs list of career leaders with 25, and also tied him for fourth on the schools list of single-season leaders with 13. His three RBIs moved him into a tie for fourth place on the schools list of single-season leaders with 54.
OREGON STATE 7, UCLA 5
Oregon State 102 100 201 - 7 11 1 UCLA 202 010 000 - 5 14 2Newell, Ranstad (5), Gits (7) and Ingram. Carter, Cislak (7) and Green. WP-Ranstad (2-1). LP-Cislak (4-2). SV-Gits (1). 2B-Carter (OSU), Hedges (OSU). HR-Gerber (OSU), Ingram (OSU).
HITS: Oregon State 11 (Willkie 2x5, Gerber 3x3, Carter 3x5, Gott 1x5, Hedges 1x4, Ingram 1x3), UCLA 14 (Santora 2x5, Scott 2x3, Atkins 3x5, Reece 1x3, Green 3x5, Baron 1x3, Lyon 1x5, Hymes1x2). RUNS BATTED IN: Oregon State 7 (Gerber 3, Carter 2, Gott 1, Ingram 1), UCLA 5 (Reece 2, Green 1, Baron 1, Lyon 1).
