A week after Ethan Kleinschmit gave up three home runs in an upset loss against Cal State Northridge, the junior from Mt. Angel locked in for one of his best showings.Thanks to Kleinschmit’s 6 strikeouts, Oregon State defeated Long Beach State 7-2. The full box score can be viewed at this link, and our game recap can be read below.
In the bottom of the first inning tonight, Oregon State’s starting pitcher Ethan Kleinschmit struck out Long Beach State leadoff man Camden Gasser. The next two batters went down in order. The top of the next inning saw Long Beach State’s towering 6’8″ righty Kaimi Kahalekai allowing three straight base hits – scoring last Friday’s breakout player Ethan Porter – and then surrendering another Oregon State run on a Jacob Galloway sacrifice fly. In the bottom of the second, Kleinschmit went back to work: one strikeout, and two grounders.
Buttressed by a Dirtbags’ throwing error in the top of the third – which brought AJ Singer home from second base – momentum surged in favor of the Beavers’ new Friday starter. The bottom frame included three Long Beach State batters – Justin Roulston, Conner Stewart, and Damon Valdez – and all three struck out. Through three innings, the junior lefty from Mt. Angel earned five strikeouts. The Beavers tacked on two more runs in the top of the fifth. First, Easton Talt dropped a perfect bunt down the third base line. A Singer single moved him to second base, and then a wild pitch pushed both runners into scoring position. Long Beach State’s Hawaiian sophomore Kahalekai failed to rally, throwing another wild pitch, and Talt reached home. Thanks to Paul Vasquez’ sacrifice fly to left field, Oregon State led 5-0…