A season filled with towering home runs and record-setting performances featured more of both on Sunday afternoon.
Travis Bazzana set a pair of home run marks and the Oregon State baseball team broke the club record for homers in a season during an explosive 10-6 victory over the Washington State Cougars at Bailey-Brayton Field in Pullman, Washington.
The memorable outing clinched a series win for the sixth-ranked Beavers (35-12, 14-9 Pac-12), who finished the weekend in third place in the Pac-12 conference standings — 2 1/2 games behind first-place Arizona (17-7) — with two weeks left in the regular season.
Fittingly, Bazzana fueled the important late-season victory.
The Golden Spikes Award candidate belted three homers, giving him a single-season program-record 24, as he continued his season-long assault on the OSU record book. Bazzana entered the game sharing the record with Jim Wilson, who hit 21 in 1982. But four pitches into the game, Bazzana shattered the tie, smashing a 2-1 pitch to deep right field, hitting his seventh leadoff home run of the season.
He was only getting started.
Bazzana added a solo home run in the fourth inning and a towering two-run shot in the seventh, equaling the OSU single-game record. The feat, which is shared by several Oregon State players, was last accomplished by Mason Guerra on March 19.
Bazzana finished the day 3 for 4 with four RBIs, three runs scored and two walks.
The three hits moved him into a tie for third on the Beavers’ all-time list with Andy Jarvis, leaving him six shy of Darwin Barney’s program record. Bazzana, whose three runs scored pushed his career total to 201, also became the first OSU player to score more than 200 runs in a career. He already has set numerous OSU records this season, including the career marks for runs, total bases and walks.
But on Sunday, Bazzana also helped the Beavers set a team record — his third home run gave Oregon State 90 on the season, breaking the single-season club record of 89 set last season.
Tanner Smith, who hit a solo shot in the fifth inning, teams with Bazzana to break the record.
The homers were part of a prolific offensive game by Oregon State, which scored its most runs since April 17 in a loss at Nevada.
Micah McDowell, who made his third consecutive start since missing time with and oblique strain, went 3 for 6 an RBI double and two runs scored. Dallas Macias finished 3 for 5 with two doubles. And Jabin Trosky and Elijah Hainline each added singles for the Beavers, who pounded out 12 hits and drew eight walks.
The bullpen was the beneficiary of all the fireworks, as Nelson Keljo and Joey Mundt combined to allow just one earned run over 4 2/3 innings. Keljo (2-0) earned the win, striking out six and surrendering one run in three solid innings, while Mundt sealed the victory by striking out two and giving up one hit in 1 2/3 innings.
Next up: The Beavers visit the Gonzaga Bulldogs Monday at Noon in their final midweek game of the season.
— Joe Freeman | jfreeman@oregonian.com | 503-294-5183 | @BlazerFreeman | Subscribe to The Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.