In a thrilling matchup at the Corvallis Regional, Saint Mary’s managed to upset the top-seeded host team Oregon State, moving the Beavers into the tournament’s elimination bracket with a 6-4 victory on Friday night. This win was punctuated by a pivotal seventh-inning home run from Brian Duroff, who drove in three essential runs, and a stellar performance from Daniel Guevara Castro, who struck out the opposing side in the ninth inning. The game marked a significant achievement for the No. 4 seed Gaels, who will now face No. 3 seed Southern California on Saturday. Meanwhile, Oregon State, with a remarkable record of 41-13-1, faces an elimination match against No. 2 seed TCU to kick off the day’s events.
Saint Mary’s baseball team, having made their only other NCAA Tournament appearance back in 2016, showed remarkable prowess right from the start. They quickly secured a 3-0 lead in the first inning. This early advantage came as a result of targeting Beavers’ starter Eric Segura (8-2), who only recorded a single out and was pulled from the game after being charged with three runs due to two singles, a walk, and three hit batters.
The Beavers attempted a comeback in the third inning when Aiva Arquette achieved a two-out single off Gaels starter Dylan Delvecchio (7-3). This was followed by a crucial homer from Gavin Turley, bringing Oregon State closer with a 3-2 scoreline. However, Saint Mary’s extended their lead back to a four-run advantage as Brian Duroff’s homer came with two outs off Laif Palmer.
Despite a solo homer by Trent Caraway and a crucial two-out triple by Easton Talt which sliced the deficit to two heading into the eighth inning, Oregon State could not overcome Saint Mary’s lead. Dylan Delvecchio, the Gaels’ starting pitcher, was instrumental over his 6 2/3 innings on the mound, during which he yielded four runs on seven hits and recorded 10 strikeouts. Castro’s prowess in securing the last 2 1/3 innings with minimal fuss granted him his third save, highlighted by his dominance in stopping Oregon State’s batters late in the game.
The Beavers have a storied history in the tournaments, having advanced to the College World Series seven times in their 24 NCAA Tournament appearances, claiming the championship as recent as 2018 and back-to-back victories in 2006-07. Despite their loss, Oregon State’s fans are hopeful for another deep run in the tournament and will look to regroup quickly in their elimination match against TCU.