Left-hander Ethan Kleinschmit pitched seven strong innings and Oregon State capitalized on Cal Poly miscues on the way to beating the Mustangs 8-2 Sunday in their baseball series finale in San Luis Obispo, California.
Kleinschmit allowed two runs on six hits and struck out six to improve to 4-1 on the season. Zach Kmatz pitched the final two innings to finish things off for the sixth-ranked Beavers (18-4) as 2,934 watched on a sunny afternoon at Baggett Stadium.
The win clinched the series for Oregon State, which has won 12 of its last 13 games.
Cal Poly starting pitcher Ethan Marmie’s throwing error in the third inning led to two Oregon State runs, and the Beavers tacked on two more later in the inning on a fielding error by Mustangs left fielder Dante Vachini.
The Beavers staked Kleinschmit to a 6-0 lead an inning later after scoring on two separate wild pitches by Marmie (3-2), who took the loss.
Cal Poly (14-8) got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth as Alejandro Garza doubled home Vachini and Jack Collins then singled to bring in Garza.
Oregon State’s Dallas Macias blasted one over the right-field wall for a solo homer in the eighth, and Trent Caraway homered to left in the ninth to finish off the scoring.
AJ Singer finished 3 for 4 and scored two runs for OSU, while Caraway, Easton Talt and Wilson Weber had two hits apiece.
Next up: Oregon State travels north to face Washington at Hillsboro Ballpark at 6 p.m. Tuesday (KOIN).
-- Joel Odom