OMAHA, Neb. — A dramatic late-inning drive by Gavin Turley sealed a remarkable walk-off win for Oregon State against Louisville in the College World Series on Friday night. With Aiva Arquette’s hustle from first to home on Turley’s well-placed shot into the left-field corner, Oregon State emerged victorious with a close 4-3 finish.
Despite Louisville tying the game with two runs earlier in the top of the ninth, the no. 8 seed Beavers (48-14-1) clinched another walk-off victory, marking their fourth of the season and second within four games. This triumph returns Oregon State to Omaha for the first time since capturing the national championship in 2018 and sets them up to face Coastal Carolina in their next matchup. Louisville, holding a 40-22 record, will face Arizona in an elimination battle.
Arquette, anticipated to be a first-round draft pick in the upcoming MLB amateur draft, overcame a challenging night on defense by delivering his third crucial hit of the evening in the ninth inning. This set the stage for Turley, who launched the first pitch from Jake Schweitzer (4-2) impressively into the corner. Left fielder Zion Rose’s attempt to field the ball proved unsuccessful, allowing Arquette to be waved home for the victory.
“It was great because it’s all about going in, competing, and hitting the ball hard every at-bat,” Turley remarked. “With the top of our lineup up, I felt confident we’d make something exciting happen.” The team’s celebrations included Turley getting doused with a sports drink on the field.
Louisville, while dealing with the loss, will be re-strategizing. “They capitalized on our missteps, just a few errors, and suddenly we’re walked off in the ninth,” expressed Cardinals coach Dan McDonnell. “It was probably a thrilling game to watch. A lot of solid baseball, but we didn’t come out on top.”
The Cardinals missed several scoring chances across the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, despite bringing runners into scoring positions multiple times. Their success came in the ninth when Zyon Rose tripled past Turley, leading to Tague Davis’ RBI single. A series of errors saw Alex Alicea reaching base and advancing to third after a mishandled throw. Kamau Neighbors’ hit subsequently leveled the score, enabling Rose to tie it before the inning ended with a strikeout and groundout.
Oregon State’s pitcher Dax Whitney was brilliant during his time on the mound, using a mix of high-speed fastballs and deceptive breaking balls to confound Louisville’s hitters. Whitney tallied nine strikeouts but exited in the sixth with two opposing players on base.
Patrick Forbes, Louisville’s starter, equaled Whitney in the early going, striking out five of the nine batters he faced through three innings, before being relieved by Justin West. Despite West’s efforts, a fielding error allowed Canon Reeder to contribute to Oregon State’s lead, making it 3-1.
Historically, Oregon State has faced challenging roads in the College World Series, often finding themselves in the elimination bracket early. In 2018, their path to a national title included six elimination victories. This season, the Beavers have advanced past multiple win-or-go-home scenarios to reach this favorable position.
“Not beginning on the back foot this time is a good change,” confirmed catcher Wilson Weber.
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