No. 15 Oregon State bounced back from a series-opening loss as Travis Bazzana hit a three-run homer Saturday night to lift the Beavers to a 6-4 win over UCLA in Los Angeles.
OSU, coming off Friday’s 12-5 loss to the Bruins, got home runs from Bazzana, Micah McDowell and Kyle Dernedde to feature an eight-hit outing.
Ben Ferrer came out of the bullpen to pitch four scoreless innings of relief to get the win.
Oregon State (35-15, 17-12) remained in a second-place tie with Washington, which clubbed Oregon 18-8. The Beavers finish conference play Sunday with the final of a three-game series against UCLA. OSU wrap up the regular season with four non-conference games, including three against Western Carolina.
Bazzana and Dernedde were the Beavers’ offensive stars. Bazzana had two hits, scored two runs and provided the night’s biggest blow, a three-run homer in the fourth inning. Dernedde went 3-for-4, hit a solo homer and scored two runs.
Oregon State starter Jacob Kmatz went four innings, giving up six hits and four runs. Ferrer silenced UCLA (26-20-1, 11-13-1) during his four-inning stint, striking out six. Ryan Brown earned his ninth save with a scoreless ninth.
Bazzana was much of Oregon State’s offense early in the game. The sophomore second baseman led off the game with a double to right, eventually scoring on a throwing error on an infield grounder by McDowell.
UCLA took a 2-1 lead in the second inning on a two-run homer by Hocking. That lasted until the fourth, when Mikey Kane and Dernedde singled. With two out, Bazzana socked a three-run homer to right center to put the Beavers in front 4-2.
UCLA tied the game during its half of the fourth on a two-run single by AJ Salgado.
Oregon State continued its power show an inning later, when McDowell led off the fifth with a solo homer to right. In the sixth, Dernedde made it 6-4 Oregon State with a two-out home run to left center.
Ferrer’s outing wasn’t completely a cruise. UCLA threatened in the eighth, putting runners at first and second base with one out, when a baserunning mistake proved costly.
JonJon Vaughns singled to right field when Hocking, running from second, had indecision about scoring. Halfway to home plate, Hocking stopped and decided to run back to third. He was too late, as Kane, OSU’s third baseman, nailed Hocking with a perfect cutoff throw by Garret Forrester.
Brown gave up a one-out hit in the ninth, but finished the job with a strikeout and fly out to right field.
Next up: The Beavers and Bruins play the final game of the series at noon Sunday in Los Angeles.
–Nick Daschel | ndaschel@oregonian.com | @nickdaschel
