Beavers Lose Game Two To Bruins

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Jacob Melton and Justin Boyd both homered but No. 2 Oregon State dropped a 7-4 decision to No. 23 UCLA Friday night in front of a Goss Stadium record crowd of 4,128.
 
Melton hit a three-run home run in the first and Boyd hit a solo shot in the third. The Bruins (35-19 overall, 19-10 Pac-12 Conference), however, prevailed thanks to a run-scoring single by Jake Palmer in the sixth inning.
 
The Beavers and Bruins enter the final day of the regular season tied for second in the Pac-12 standings, one game behind Stanford, which claimed at least a share of the conference regular season title with a win over USC Friday. The Cardinal are guaranteed the No. 1 seed at next week's Pac-12 Tournament. The winner of Oregon State (40-13, 19-10) and UCLA's matchup Saturday will be the No. 2 seed.
 
Melton's three-run home run gave him 69 RBI on the year, which is good for fourth in the OSU single-season record books. The blast, his 14th of the year, put OSU up 3-1, but UCLA went ahead in the second on a three-run home run by Carson Yates. Boyd tied the score at four with his seventh home run of the season in the third.
 
UCLA added two runs in the ninth for the final tally.
 
Brock Townsend took the loss for the Beavers, dropping to 2-1 on the year after allowing two hits and a run in 2 1/3 innings. The win went to Charles Harrison, who held OSU to two hits in three scoreless.
 
Neither starter figured in the decision. Jacob Kmatz allowed six hits and four runs in 4 1/3 innings. His counterpart, Ethan Flanagan, also allowed six hits and four runs in four innings.
 
Next Up
Oregon State and UCLA finish the regular season Saturday at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field. First pitch is slated for 12:05 p.m. PT. It will air live on the Pac-12 Network.
 
Oregon State Notes
- Oregon State will honor its seniors prior to Saturday's game, with the ceremony slated to start shortly after 11:30 a.m. They are: Jake Dukart, Greg Fuchs, Matthew Gretler, Gavin Logan, Wade Meckler, Jacob Melton, Joey Mundt (not on 2022 active roster), Jake Pfennigs, Reid Sebby and Brock Townsend.
- Travis Bazzana became the first Beaver not named Wade Meckler to lead off this season. Meckler moved to the third spot of the lineup.
- The 4,128 in attendance Friday surpassed the previous record for Goss from May 7 of this season when the Beavers took on Oregon. That game saw 4,026 in attendance.
- Jacob Melton surpassed Joe Gerber (67 in 2000) for fourth in the OSU single-season record books for RBI.
- UCLA won its first series in Corvallis since the 2010 season.
- Friday marks the first day the Beavers will not be in first place after a conference game since April 9 after OSU improved to 9-5 in conference play with a win at USC.
- The Beavers have found themselves no worse than third place the entire conference season.
 
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