CORVALLIS, Ore. – A day after being shutout for the first time this season, the USF baseball team posted its first shutout in a 5-0 victory over No. 4 Oregon State on Sunday afternoon at Goss Stadium. Three pitchers combined for the shutout, while the Dons used a four-run eighth inning to secure the win.    
 
"Offensively we were okay, but we executed our role," said head coach Nino Giarratano. "We got some bunts down, moved some guys and put some balls in play and we got two really big two-out hits by Blake [Valley] and Ryan [Matranga].
 
"I thought Kannenberg pitched great today; he kept them off balance and he beat both their righties and their lefties. Brock [Larson] came in and did his thing and Frank [Waliczek] came in and did his thing. Any time you can keep the No. 4 team in the country to no runs it's a pretty good effort. If we can get that kind of effort from [Kannenberg] and our bullpen does what they did, we have a good chance to turn this thing around."
 
James Kannenberg (1-1) earned his first win by throwing 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing six hits with two walks. Brock Larson (1.1 IP, BB) and Frank Waliczek (1.1 IP, H, BB, 2 K) chipped in to keep the high-powered Beavers offense in check.
 
Blake Valley (1-for-4, R, 2 RBI) and Ryan Matranga (1-for-2, 2 RBI) helped stoke the USF offense, while Harrison Bruce drove in a run and scored a run.   
 
USF (3-14) drew first blood in the top of the third with three consecutive bunts, one of which forced a throwing error from OSU pitcher Travis Eckert that allowed Aaron Ping to move from first to third. With no outs and runners at first and third, Harrison Bruce laid down a safety squeeze in front of the plate that allowed Ping to dive across safely for a 1-0 USF lead.
 
Oregon State (12-2) put the pressure on USF throughout the contest, getting runners on base in every inning except the second.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, the Beavers used back-to-back singles and a walk to load the bases with one out. However, Kannenberg got the next hitter, Trever Morrison, to tap the first pitch back to the mound, starting an inning-ending 1-2-3 double play. 
 
In their next trip to the plate, OSU took advantage of a muffed exchange between Matt Warkentin and Kannenberg on a slow roller in between the mound and first base to eventually put runners on first and second. Larson came in to relieve Kannenberg and proceeded to retire the next two Beaver hitters to preserve the shutout. 
 
The top of the eighth saw USF put up four runs and extend its lead to 5-0 with a mini rally jumpstarted by Aaron Ping's leadoff single to center field. It was extended when Bruce was hit by a pitch and Matt Sinatro laid down a perfect drag bunt in no man's land between the pitcher, second baseman and first baseman that loaded the bases.
 
Just as the rain started to pour for the first time all game, Valley stepped up with two outs and the bases loaded. Valley worked the count to 2-2 before tapping a slow bouncer up the middle that squeaked through the infield, scoring two. 
 
With two outs and runners at first and second, the Dons pulled off a double steal that setup the next batter, Ryan Matranga, for his two-run single that he slapped into right field, giving USF its final 5-0 advantage.
 
Waliczek closed out the ninth by only allowing an infield hit while striking out two and getting a soft line out to third to end it.
 
Travis Eckert (1-1) took the loss for OSU, throwing 7.1 innings where he allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits while striking out four.
 
Nick Madrigal (2-for-4) and Logan Ice (2-for-4) recorded multi-hit games for the Beavers.  
 
 
NOTES: The Dons' last win over a ranked opponent was on Apr. 6, 2015 with an 8-3 victory at then-No. 19 Nevada… Riley Helland made his first-career start at catcher… SS Nico Giarratano hit in the three hole for the first time this year – he has hit in the two hole every other game… CF Matt Sinatro hit in the two hole for the first time this year after hitting ninth in all of his other starts… DH Blake Valley extended his team-best hitting streak to 11 games with a two-run single in the top of the eighth… RF Beau Bozett had his nine-game on-base streak snapped… the Dons scored first for the first time in their last six games.   
 
UP NEXT: The Dons are lined up for a pair of mid-week nonconference contests this week before opening up West Coast Conference play this coming weekend. USF will travel to San Jose State on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. matchup and then host UMass Lowell over at Cal's Evans Diamond on Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. The Dons will open WCC play at Santa Clara on Friday at 7 p.m. in a three-game series originally scheduled as a home series for USF, but has been adjusted due to the ongoing renovations of Benedetti Diamond.