Trevor Larnach’s homer helps Oregon State shock Arkansas in Game 2 to even CWS

Hog Heaven will have to wait at the College World Series.

Oregon State rallied for three runs Wednesday night with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, winning 5-3 over Arkansas on Trevor Larnach’s two-run homer into the right-field bullpen off closer Matt Cronin to even the best-of-three championship series at one game apiece.

Cadyn Grenier singled home the tying run, pinch runner Zach Clayton, from third base ahead of the Larnach blast, his team-leading 19th of the year. Grenier, before roping a 2-2 pitch into left field, popped a 1-1 offering foul to the warning track in shallow right field that fell between three Razorbacks.

Seeking its first national title in baseball, Arkansas before Wednesday was 42-0 this season when leading after eight innings.

The Beavers (54-12-1) worked around a leadoff single in the bottom of the ninth to secure the victory, their fifth while facing elimination at this CWS.

The winner-take-all Game 3 of the finals is set for Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2 and the ESPN app).

The Hogs took a lead Wednesday in the second inning as Oregon State starter Bryce Fehmel allowed a single to Carson Shaddy, issued a walk, hit Jared Gates and uncorked a wild pitch. Adley Rutschman, the Beavers’ standout catcher, ripped a homer into the left-field bullpen to tie it in the fourth off Arkansas starter Kacey Murphy.

Oregon State went ahead in the fifth, but reliever Kole Ramage limited the damage by fanning Larnach with the bases loaded before Rutschman grounded out.

The Hogs went up 3-2 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth on a Casey Martin single, followed by consecutive bleeders into left field by Heston Kjerstad and Luke Bonfield off OSU reliever Brandon Eisert. The speedy Martin raced home from second on Bonfield’s hit. Shaddy followed with a sharp single to left-center, scoring Kjerstad.

In the sixth, Michael Gretler led off by reaching on a Martin throwing error at third base and Kyle Malone singled. But pinch hitter Jack Anderson popped a bunt in front of the mound to Ramage, who fired to Martin for a rally-killing double play.

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