Gerber, OSU set homer records in 13-5 baseball win at Portland
April 11, 2000 | Baseball
April 11, 2000
PORTLAND, Ore. - Joe Gerber set Oregon State's career home run record Tuesday afternoon, hitting his 28th as the Beavers clubbed a school-record seven homers in beating Portland 13-5 in non-league baseball at Pilot Stadium. OSU's previous record for homers in a game was six, set twice against Oregon in 1966 and matched against Puget Sound in 1978.
OSU (18-17 overall, 1-5 Pacific-10) now plays host to Arizona in a Pacific-10 series Friday through Sunday at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field. They'll go into that game fresh off a record-setting win over Portland (17-15, 6-8 West Coast) on a warm, slightly cloudy afternoon in which OSU scored in each of the first seven innings.
Gerber's homer was the last of back-to-back-to-back shots that started the third inning, as Brian Barden and Curtis Davis had homered ahead of Gerber. It was especially sweet for the senior first baseman to hit the record-setting home run in Portland, where he graduated from Grant High.
"It feels good. It feels good to get it over with," said Gerber, who had tied Al Hunsinger (1980-81) at 27 home runs on March 20 and then gone 12 games without a homer. "I'm honored, thinking of all those great players who have been here. Most of my family was here, so it was really nice."
Gerber said he hadn't necessarily been thinking "home run" at the plate during his longball drought.
"Not really," Gerber said. "I was just trying to hit the ball as hard as I can, and I'd been pulling off the ball a bit. I've been starting to go back to hitting the ball the other way."
Indeed, the lefthanded slugger's homer was to left-center field. It was one of six OSU homers that came with no one on base, the only exception being Davis' two-run homer in the first inning.
Eric Stark added a solo homer in the second inning, then there were the consecutive blasts by Barden, Davis and Gerber in the third. Rod Gott homered in the sixth inning, and Chris Biles' drive inside the rightfield foul pole in the seventh made Tuesday the first time in OSU's 91-season varsity baseball history that the Beavers had homered seven times in a game.
"I was happy to see our guys hang some balls out there," said OSU head coach Pat Casey, whose team had been beaten 13-10 at home by the Pilots a week earlier. "Our guys had some purpose coming in here, because Portland is a much better club than it has been the past few years."
Senior righthander James Atwood made his first start for Oregon State and earned the win. In six innings, Atwood allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits and one walk, striking out four.
OSU got scoreless innings of relief from Paul Hansen and Nick Renault before the Pilots scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth against Don Stykel. Craig Hays then retired three straight hitters to wrap up the game.
Barden finished the game 3-for-5 with a homer, a double and four runs batted in to lead Oregon State's 15-hit attack against five Pilot pitchers. Davis was 2-for-2 with two homers and three RBIs, Gerber was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, Stark was 2-for-3 with 3 runs and Will Hudson was 2-for-5 with two stolen bases.
"The bar is going to be raised this weekend, and our guys know it," Casey said of facing Arizona. "We're going to see better pitching and a better club. We're happy to come in here off a tough trip (to fourth-ranked Arizona State last weekend) and hit well and play well, but we know it's going to be a tough weekend."
OREGON STATE 13, PORTLAND 5
Oregon State 214 221 100 - 13 15 1 Portland 100 001 003 - 5 10 3Atwood, Hansen (7), Renault (8), Stykel (9), Hays (9) and Ingram, Biles (7). Ballweber, Wood (3), Graham (5), Corra (6), Bebout (8) and Gardner, Dearinger (7). WP-Atwood (3-3). LP-Ballweber (1-2). 2B-Barden (OSU), Jarvis (OSU), Allen (UP), Jackson (UP). HR-Biles (OSU), Barden (OSU), Davis 2 (OSU), Gerber (OSU), Gott (OSU), Stark (OSU).
HITS: Oregon State 15 (Biles 1x1, Hedges 1x3, Barden 3x5, Davis 2x2, Gerber 2x4, Gott 1x2, Hudson 2x5, Stark 2x3), Portland 10 (G. Hare 2x5, Lunde 1x4, Allen 2x4, Jackson 3x5, N. Hare 1x4, Goff 1x3). RUNS BATTED IN: Oregon State 12 (Biles 1, Barden 4, Davis 3, Gerber 2, Gott 1, Stark 1), Portland 5 (Allen 2, Jackson 2, M. Stewart 1).
