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CORVALLIS — A wild seventh-inning rally lifted No. 18 Oregon State to a 7-2 win against Xavier Monday night at Goss Stadium and a four-game sweep of their first home series of 2026.
Trailing 2-0 heading to the bottom of the seventh, the Beavers (11-4) exploded for six runs, then added another in the eighth to polish off the Musketeers (5-11).
AJ Hutcheson, who pitched the top of the seventh inning, picked up the win for the Beavers, his first of the season.
“I was proud of the guys who didn’t put their heads down through a little bit of adversity,” Oregon State coach Mitch Canham said. “They responded to it quickly. It’s not always going to go your way. How you respond to it is extremely important.”
AJ Singer and Jacob Krieg both worked walks to start Oregon State’s comeback in the seventh. Following a sacrifice bunt, Tyler Inge laced a game-tying double to right center.
“I was sitting on a fastball, and luckily I got it,” Inge said. “Sitting fastball middle, middle in, got it, and tried to go opposite field gap. And that’s what I did.”
Xavier changed pitchers but couldn’t stop the rally. Easton Talt walked, then Inge and Talt advanced to third and second on a double steal. Adam Haight gave the Beavers a 3-2 lead with an RBI soft-hit single to center field.
The Beavers piled on from there. Jacob Galloway’s bloop double plated Talt. Haight scored on a wild pitch, and Bryce Hubbard drove in a run to give OSU a 6-2 lead.
It took six frustrating innings to set up the seventh. Xavier starting pitcher Ashton Chronister stymied Oregon State’s offense early in the game. Chronister, a 6-foot-8 left-hander, gave up just two hits and no runs in five innings. Still, Canham felt his players kept their energy up.
“We were behind two, and I still loved what the guys were bringing in the dugout through the entirety of it,” Canham said. “It never felt like we were behind really.”
Xavier threatened to take control in the top of the seventh. Hutcheson entered the game and loaded the bases on a walk and two hit batters. But Hutcheson rebounded, getting JD Crisp to bounce into a force out at the plate, then struck out Jorge Valdez to end the inning unscathed.
“[Hutcheson] worked out of a big jam,” Canham said. “It happened quick with the bases loaded, but digging deep, getting back behind the mound and taking a deep breath, clearing his head. So it was nice to see that.”
The momentum swing translated to the Beavers’ bats in the bottom half of the inning.
“I think it honestly starts with our pitching staff,” Inge said. “Those guys are our backbone. They go out there and they shove every game. I think when (Hutcheson) got the bases loaded and then got out of it, I think that started our momentum.”
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The Beavers added a run in the eighth without a hit, as Talt walked, stole second and scored when a strike-three pitch to Galloway got past Xavier’s catcher.
Oregon State’s starting pitcher Connor Mendez, making his second career appearance for the Beavers, gave up one hit over four innings. That hit was a solo homer by Xavier’s Clay Burdette.
“Pitching did a great job,” Canham said. “Mendez did a great job coming out starting, only gave up one knock, got us through four.”
Trey Morris, Hutcheson, Zach Kmatz and Jack Giordano combined to pitch the final five innings, giving up a combined three hits.
Next up for Oregon State is a three-game series at San Diego (7-8). Last year, the Beavers swept a series from the Toreros in Corvallis. USD was an NCAA tournament team in 2024.
Xavier will stay in state and face Oregon (12-3) in Eugene Tuesday and Wednesday.
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