CORVALLIS, Ore. – The USF baseball team suffered its first shutout of the season with a 4-0 defeat at No. 4 Oregon State on Saturday afternoon. In a game halted by three separate rain delays, USF (2-14) just couldn't come up with the big hit, but did receive some quality outings from its pitching staff in limiting one of the nation's best offenses to four runs.  
 
"I was really glad with the way that we pitched in a lot of ways," said head coach Nino Giarratano. "Today we limited some damage; we got a double play ball from [Joey] Carney that was big. I thought Frank [Waliczek] came in and did a great job.
 
"All in all, to give up four to these guys in their place is a pretty good outing by our staff. That was a great pitching performance by us, but when we pitch we don't hit; when he hit we don't pitch. We just didn't get it going offensively today. We had chances and we couldn't execute.
 
"We're getting a little bit closer each day, so we're going to just stay with it. This is a tough team; I see a lot of fight in them."  
 
USF starter Chase Gardner (0-2) took the loss after throwing 4.1 innings where he allowed two runs on six hits while walking two and striking out one.
 
Blake Valley (2-for-4) was the only Don to record multiple hits on the day.
 
Oregon State (12-1) didn't tally its first hit off Gardner until the bottom of the third, but that inning the Beavers used Michael Gretler's leadoff double to take a 1-0 lead two batters later when Cadyn Grenier chopped an RBI groundout to second base. 
 
The Beavers added another run their next time up as KJ Harrison and Logan Ice led off the inning with back-to-back hits before Kyle Nobach plated Harrison with a one-out sacrifice fly to center field.
 
USF had one of its best opportunities to strike in the top of fifth when the Dons got runners at first and third with no outs following a leadoff walk by Ross Puskarich and a single to right center from Dan James, but the next three Don hitters were retired in order without a run coming across.
 
The Dons again narrowly missed out on a scoring opportunity when Puskarich drew another leadoff walk and Brady Bate got on with an infield hit in the six-hole. Two batters later - with two outs and runners on first and second - Matt Sinatro laced a ball right back up the middle that looked destined to be an RBI base hit, but instead went straight into OSU pitcher Luke Heimlich's glove for the third out.
 
In the bottom half of the seventh, OSU took its final 4-0 lead behind Harrison's RBI double lined into the left field corner, followed by a sacrifice fly to deep right field off the bat of Ice in the next at bat.
 
Heimlich (3-0) was Oregon State's winner in relief, tossing three scoreless innings where he allowed two hits, a walk and struck out three.
 
Nick Madrigal (2-for-3, R) and KJ Harrison (2-for-3, R, RBI) led the Beavers offensively.  
 

 
NOTES: DH Blake Valley extended his team-best hitting streak to 10 games with an infield base hit in the top of the fourth… the Dons were 2-for-13 with runners on base… this was the first time this season the Dons have been shutout.
 
UP NEXT: The Dons and Beavers conclude their series with game three scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. from Goss Stadium, pending any more inclement weather from. RHP James Kannenberg (0-1, 6.00) is lined up to face OSU's RHP Travis Eckert (1-0, 4.66).