The Arizona Wildcats did everything they could to avoid Travis Bazzana Sunday afternoon.
It turns out, they should have been avoiding Garret Forrester.
The junior first baseman smacked a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning to put a bow on a career afternoon and deliver the Oregon State baseball team team an 11-10 victory in the finale of a three-game series at Goss Stadium in Corvallis.
The 22nd-ranked Beavers (30-13, 14-10) swept the series to earn their 12th win in the last 14 games and end April with a 14-4 record. The sensational month has rocketed them into fourth place in the Pac-12, one-half game behind the third-place Oregon Ducks (13-8).
It was Oregon State’s second walk-off win of the series — and the third in its last six home games — as Forrester joined Tyce Peterson and Tanner Smith as a recent late-game hero.
Forrester actually delivered two crucial late-game hits to help OSU sweep the Wildcats (23-18, 9-15). The first came in the bottom of the eighth inning, when he smashed a three-run double to left field to give the Beavers an 8-7 lead. It came after Arizona elected to intentionally walk Bazzana to load the bases with two outs and helped OSU complete a comeback from a five-run deficit.
Then, after Emilio Corona crushed a three-run home run down the left field line to give Arizona a 10-8 lead in the top of the ninth, it was déjà vu all over again for Forrester and the Beavers in the bottom half of the inning.
Mason Guerra opened the ninth with a leadoff walk and Brady Kasper followed with a double to center. After Mikey Kane struck out, Dallas Macias worked a five-pitch walk to load the bases with one out. Smith responded with a two-run single, smacking a 1-2 pitch into left-center, to tie the game 10-10.
Kyle Dernedde followed with a strikeout, which sent Bazzana to the plate with two on and two out. The Wildcats elected to intentionally walk OSU’s red-hot leadoff hitter for the second time in as many innings.
And Forrester wasted little time making them pay — again — lacing the first pitch he saw into right field to score Macias and polish off another dramatic victory for Oregon State.
It was a fitting end to a career day for Forrester, who finished 5 for 6 with two doubles and five RBIs. The five hits were a career-high, the five RBIs were one shy of a career-high and Forrester reached base for the 42nd consecutive game.
And on a day in which the Beavers recorded 12 hits and scored in double figures for the eighth time this month, he was hardly alone.
Kasper went 2 for 4 a double, homer, two RBIs and two runs scored, Smith went 2 for 4 with three RBIs and Bazzana hit a solo homer, had three walks and recorded his conference-leading 26th stolen base.
Oregon State closer Ryan Brown, who gave up three hits — including that three-run ninth inning homer — blew his second consecutive save opportunity. But he earned the win nonetheless, moving to 4-1 on the season.
Next up: The Beavers host the Ducks Tuesday at 5:35 p.m. in a midweek nonconference matchup in Corvallis.
— Joe Freeman | jfreeman@oregonian.com | 503-294-5183 | @BlazerFreeman | Subscribe to The Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
