Corvallis, Ore. – Western Carolina led No. 10 Oregon State twice and plated an equalizing run in the top of the fifth inning on Friday in game two of the nonconference set at Goss Stadium to tie the game at five apiece. However, the Beavers exploded for 18 unanswered runs in claiming the series with a 23-5 victory.
 
The nonconference series concludes the regular season on Saturday afternoon with a 1:05 p.m. PT / 4:05 p.m. ET first pitch. The game can be seen with a video stream online through the Pac-12 Insider (paid subscription required) with live streaming audio through OSUBeavers.com heard via the Varsity Network – download the free Varsity Network app for the live game broadcast. Live stats will also be available through a link at CatamountSports.com.
 
Landen Morrison delivered a bases-loaded walk and James Hinson a sacrifice fly for an RBI in the top of the first inning as WCU took a 2-0 lead in Friday's opening frame. After being retired in order in the home half of the first, the Beavers took the lead back with three runs in the second inning including a two-run homer.
 
WCU (21-31) grabbed its second lead of the contest in the top of the third inning as Nate Stocum led off with a solo home run to right field – his team-leading 13th round-tripper of the season – to tie the game before Morrison blasted a go-ahead home run to left-center as the Catamounts led 4-3. However, Oregon State pulled back in front of the early see-saw affair with a two-run home run in the bottom of the third and carried the one-run, 5-4, lead into the fifth.
 
Pascanel Ferreras led off the top of the fifth inning with a game-tying solo home run to left-center field, his 12th of the season. But the Beavers responded by plating six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on their way to scoring the game's final 18 runs including a five-run sixth and seven unearned runs in the eighth
 
Morrison drove in two in a 1-for-3 performance with a home run and a walk. Stocum and Brandon Butterworth both finished 2-for-5 to lead WCU, combining for four of the team's seven hits with Stocum tallying a double and a home run. Ferreras reached twice with a home run and a walk with Jordan Starkes also reaching base two times with a walk and a single.
 
Oregon State closed the game with 18 base hits including six home runs spread between five different players, adding six doubles for 12 total extra-base hits. The Beavers were aided by 12 walks and four Catamount errors.
 
Coby Ingle (0-3) was saddled with the loss, the second of six Catamount pitchers used Friday. Ingle allowed four runs on just one base hit with three walks. Starter Kyle Riesselmann was tagged for five runs on five hits, walking five against one strikeout. Ryan White struck out a team-best two over an inning of work with Dylan Wheeler the most effective reliever, working around two walks in tossing 1.2 hitless, scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
 
Oregon State starter Jacob Kmatz (5-4) earned the win after allowing five runs on six hits with four walks and a strikeout. Two relievers out of the Beaver bullpen held the Catamounts scoreless with just one base hit and a walk with five combined strikeouts over the final four frames.
Gavin Turley homered twice with five RBI in a 2-for-3 effort adding three walks with catcher Tanner Smith doubling twice for the home squad. Kyle Demedde also collected five RBI in a two-hit effort with a double and home run. Jacob Krieg delivered three RBI on a pinch-hit home run.
 
With the results from Friday around the Southern Conference, all but two seeds are determined for next week's SoCon Baseball Championship presented by Holston Gases at Fluor Field at the West End in Greenville, S.C. WCU is now locked into the No. 7 seed and will play in the second of two single-elimination games next Wednesday, May 24 at 7 p.m. The Catamounts (8-12) will play the sixth seed which will be determined Saturday as the loser in the season-finale between UNCG (9-11) at ETSU (9-11).
 
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