CORVALLIS, Ore. — There’s levels to a proper program build. Baby steps have to sometimes be taken, even if everyone involved would like to jump past several of those. Lessons have to be learned. Experiences, both positive and negative, have to be endured.
USC suffered through one of those difficult experiences, getting manhandled by national championship contender Oregon State for the second day in a row in the Corvallis Regional final. The Beavers shut down USC’s offensive attack in the winner-take-all regional final, eliminating the Trojans from the NCAA tournament with a 9-0 victory.
Oregon State freshman James DeCremer, making just his second start of the season, held USC (37-23) to two hits in five scoreless innings. Then sophomore Eric Segura, who was pulled in the first inning of his start Friday after getting knocked around by Saint Mary’s, fired three scoreless innings. Sophomore Laif Palmer closed out the final inning, inducing the fifth double play of the day and getting a strikeout after the Trojans managed only their third hit. All three Oregon State pitchers fired mid-90s fastballs, something rare among USC pitchers.
The Beavers did it with young arms and a fearsome heart of its lineup as three of its four big boppers — Aiva Arquette, Gavin Turley and Trent Caraway — all hit home runs.
Turley got the Beavers on the board in the first inning, chopping a single through the right side to score Easton Talt after he led off with a double off the right-center field wall. As Turley waited on deck for his second at-bat, Arquette extended Oregon State’s lead to 3-0, launching a 414-foot homer into the left-center field bleachers for his 18th home run but first in front of the Goss Stadium fans. Turley then hit a solo home run that traveled 418 feet and left his bat at 110 mph.
The Beavers added tallies in each of the next two innings, with Caraway launching a parabolic shot to left field in the fifth inning. It was his fifth home run in as many Corvallis Regional games, and it helped him earn Most Outstanding Player honors for the regional.
Jacob Krieg put the finishing touches on the beatdown with a three-run homer in the eighth inning.
With the win, Oregon State (44-13-1) advances to the super-regional round. It will host Florida State in a three-game series starting Friday after the Seminoles won the Tallahassee Regional.
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