Beavers squeak past Titans

Santschi, Lissman homer as defending champs win 3-2

Scott Santschi picked a great time for his first homer, going 2 for 3 with a seventh-inning shot and two RBI, and Mike Lissman also homered as Oregon State edged Cal State Fullerton 3-2 Saturday night at Rosenblatt Stadium.

The Beavers (45-18) will meet Arizona State on Monday evening at 7 p.m. EDT, while the Titans (38-24) face UC Irvine in an elimination game on Monday afternoon at 2 p.m. EDT.

OSU, looking to become the first repeat winner at the College World Series since LSU in 1996-97, scored in each of the first two innings. Lissman went deep in the first and Santschi’s run-scoring single in the second gave the Beavers a 2-0 advantage.

Fullerton cut the lead in half in the third on a homer down the left field line by Nick Mahin. Santschi’s long ball in the top of the seventh again gave OSU a two-run lead at 3-1. Mahin’s sacrifice fly in the eighth pulled the Titans to within one at 3-2.

Fullerton tried to rally in the bottom of the ninth. With two outs, miscommunication allowed a pop fly to fall between the shortstop and left fielder. Closer Eddie Kunz entered and surrendered a pinch-hit single to Jon Wilhite before a groundout ended the contest, giving Kunz his 12^th save.

OSU starter Jorge Reyes (6-3) earned the victory, going six innings with three hits, one run, two walks and three strikeouts. Fullerton starter Wes Roemer (11-7) absorbed the loss, working eight innings with seven hits, three runs, two earned runs, no walks and seven strikeouts. Roemer now owns the school record for career strikeouts with 365, passing Adam Johnson (1998-2000).

Oregon State won its opener at the College World Series for the first time in four trips to Omaha.