Oregon State baseball's season ends after close-fought super regional battle with Kentucky
The Oregon State Beavers fell agonizingly short of a trip back to Omaha.
After mashing its way through the regular season and sweeping its way through the Corvallis Regional, Oregon State's bats went silent during the biggest weekend of the season. The No. 15 Beavers fell, 3-2, to the No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats in the Lexington Super Regional on Sunday, and saw their season end in the process.
"Heck of a ball game. No doubt our guys came out and put up a big fight responding from yesterday just like they always do," Oregon State coach Mitch Canham said. "I can always count on these guys to battle and be there for one another. And to play down to the wire like that at the very end, incredible fight, big heart. ... I know how much they poured into it since they showed up on campus and how much they love going out there and competing for one another. It's very painful. There's only one goal every year, and if you don't win that very last game, it hurts."
Jacob Kmatz tossed 6.0 inning and held the Wildcats to three runs on four hits while striking out eight for OSU. The Beavers' lineup drew nine walks but managed just two hits on the evening.
Oregon State finishes the season with a 45-16 record.
FINAL: Kentucky 3, Oregon State 2
Bottom of the 9th inning — Kentucky 3, Oregon State 2
Robert Hogan stayed on the mound for Kentucky and worked two quick outs. He walked Mason Guerra with two outs to bring Travis Bazzana to the plate.
The Beavers' star leadoff man smashed a line drive off the right field wall to put runners in the corners with two outs.
But reliever Johnny Hummel came on and struck out Micah McDowell to end the game and Oregon State's season.
Top of the 9th inning — Kentucky 3, Oregon State 2
Nelson Keljo stayed on the mound for his third inning of work and struck out Ryan Nicholson looking. Then, the Beavers turned the game over to all-conference closer Bridger Holmes.
The standout closer got two quick outs on just six pitches to end the inning.
Bottom of the 8th inning — Kentucky 3, Oregon State 2
Dallas Macias drew a one-out walk, then stole second. But he was left stranded as Kentucky reliever Robert Hogan shut down the rest of the Oregon State order.
Top of the 8th inning — Kentucky 3, Oregon State 2
Jabin Trosky came in at third base for the Beavers to replace Easton Talt, who pinch-hit for Trent Caraway in the seventh.
Nelson Keljo stayed on the mound for Oregon State and got Devin Burkes to fly out to the warning track for the first out of the inning, then struck out cleanup man Nick Lopez swinging.
Mitchell Daly smashed a line drive to left field, but Dallas Macias was there to make the catch and end the inning.
Bottom of the 7th inning — Kentucky 3, Oregon State 2
Brady Kasper smashed a leadoff single for Oregon State's first hit of the night. Easton Talt then came on to pinch hit for Trent Caraway and moved Kasper over to second with a sacrifice bunt.
Kentucky then called upon junior righty Robert Hogan out of the bullpen to face OSU's No. 9 hitter, Mason Guerra. Hogan spiked a fastball, allowing Kasper to move up to third. He then walked Guerra to put runners in the corners.
Hogan buckled down and struck out Travis Bazzana swinging for the second out of the inning. Then, he got Micah McDowell to line out to shortstop to end the threat.
Top of the 7th inning — Kentucky 3, Oregon State 2
Nolan McCarthy smashed a leadoff double, and that spelled the end of Jacob Kmatz's evening.
Sophomore lefty Nelson Keljo came on in relief.
Keljo got a quick out, then threw a wild pitch. He failed to cover home plate on the play, and McCarthy came all the way around to score from second and give Kentucky the lead.
Keljo battled back and retired Kentucky's No. 1 and No. 2 hitters — Ryan Waldschmidt and Emilien Pitre — to end the inning.
Bottom of the 6th inning — Kentucky 2, Oregon State 2
Dallas Macias, Elijah Hainline, and Wilson Weber went down in order.
The Beavers still do not have a hit.
Top of the 6th inning — Kentucky 2, Oregon State 2
Jacob Kmatz stayed in the game and worked three more quick outs on just nine pitches. His pitch count is now sitting at 99.
Beavers' lefty reliever Nelson Keljo began warming up in the bullpen midway through the inning.
Bottom of the 5th inning — Kentucky 2, Oregon State 2
Kentucky reliever Cameron O'Brien stayed on and blanked Oregon State's 1-2-3 hitters to retire the side in order. He struck out Travis Bazzana and Micah McDowell.
Top of the 5th inning — Kentucky 2, Oregon State 2
Jacob Kmatz retired the top of the Kentucky lineup in order. He's at 90 pitches on the night.
Bottom of the 4th inning — Kentucky 2, Oregon State 2
Micah McDowell and Gavin Turley drew back-to-back walks to lead off the inning. Then, Dallas Macias popped up to shallow center field but Kentucky's shortstop dropped the ball to load the bases.
Kentucky starter Mason Moore struck out Elijah Hainline with a curveball in the dirt for the first out of the inning. But then Wilson Weber and and Brady Kasper drew back-to-back bases-loaded walks to tie the game.
Kentucky reliever Cameron O'Brien came on after that and stopped the bleeding. The right-hander struck out Trent Caraway and Mason Guerra — both looking — to escape the jam.
Top of the 4th inning — Kentucky 2, Oregon State 0
Mitchell Daly smashed a one-out double off the left-field wall to spark the Wildcats. He later advanced to third on a wild pitch. Ryan Nicholson followed with a walk to put runners in the corners, and then Nolan McCarthy laid down a perfect safety squeeze to drive home a run.
Trent Caraway made a nice play at third on a hard-hit ball to record the final out of the inning.
Bottom of the 3rd inning — Kentucky 1, Oregon State 0
Oregon State No. 9 hitter Mason Guerra drew a one-out walk to set the stage for Travis Bazzana. But the Beavers' star leadoff man hit a hard grounder to first that resulted in an inning-ending double play.
Top of the 3rd inning — Kentucky 1, Oregon State 0
Kmatz worked a 1-2-3 inning on just 11 pitches.
Bottom of the 2nd inning — Kentucky 1, Oregon State
Elijah Hainline, Wilson Weber, and Brady Kasper were retired in order.
Top of the 2nd inning — Kentucky 1, Oregon State
Nolan McCarthy smashed a two-out RBI double to score Ryan Nicholson from first and put Kentucky on the board early.
Bottom of the 1st inning — Oregon State 0, Kentucky 0
Travis Bazzana led off the inning by drawing his 76th walk of the season, which ties him with Adley Rutschman (2019) for the Oregon State single-season record. But Mason Moore responded by striking out Micah McDowell and Gavin Turley, and then forcing Dallas Macias to line out to end the inning.
Top of the 1st inning — Oregon State 0, Kentucky 0
Jacob Kmatz mowed down the top of the Kentucky lineup in order. He ended the inning with a swinging strikeout of Wildcats' catcher Devin Burkes.
Oregon State Beavers starting lineup vs. Kentucky Wildcats
1. Travis Bazzana 2B
2. Micah McDowell CF
3. Gavin Turley DH
4. Dallas Macias LF
5. Elijah Hainline SS
6. Wilson Weber C
7. Brady Kasper RF
8. Trent Caraway 3B
9. Mason Guerra 1B
RHP Jacob Kmatz
Kentucky Wildcats starting lineup vs. Oregon State Beavers
1. Ryan Waldschmidt LF
2. Emilien Pitre 2B
3. Devin Burkes C
4. Nick Lopez DH
5. Mitchell Daly 3B
6. Ryan Nicholson 1B
7. Nolan McCarthy CF
8. James McCoy RF
9. Grant Smith SS
RHP Mason Moore
What channel is Oregon State baseball's Lexington Super Regional game against Kentucky on?
TV Channel: ESPNU
Streaming: Fubo
Who are the announcers for Oregon State baseball's Lexington Super Regional game against Kentucky?
Broadcast team: Roxy Bernstein and Xavier Scruggs
What time is Oregon State baseball's Lexington Super Regional game against Kentucky?
Date: Saturday, June 9
Start time: 6:06 p.m. PT
Jarrid Denney covers high school sports and Oregon State for the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at JDenney@salem.gannett.com or on X @jarrid_denney
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Kentucky ends Oregon State baseball's season in super regionals
