Putnam Pitches a Gem but One Hit is Enough For the Beavers

The NCAA men's baseball super regionals and College World Series is my favorite time of the year. Watching college baseball is one of the purest forms of a sport where everyone plays everyday (I just found out Barry Bonds doesn't play on Sundays) and the players leave everything they have on the field and sacrifice their bodies for a shot at the promise land, Omaha.

The game between the Oregon State Beavers and the Michigan Wolverines was a pitcher's duel for the ages.

Zach Putnam was threw 8 and 2/3 no-hit baseball but it just goes to show you it's ultimately not how many hits you get but how many runs you put across the plate.

For the first 8 innings Zach Putnam was untouchable. He had it all working. A fastball with wicked movement, a splitter where the bottom drops out, and change up in case you fouled off the first two.

In the ninth, Putnam allowed a walk to Scott Santchi and pinch runner Braden Wells came into the game to run. Wells advanced to second on a Lonnie Lechelt sacrifice bunt. Putnam then struck out Chris Hopkins. With two outs, Joey Wong stepped up to the plate with two out in the eighth and Putnam trying to get out of the jam unscaved. Wong cooly delivered and plated Wells from second base on a base hit into left field. Oregon State's only hit of the game. The no hit bid was over. Putnam was pulled after 8 and 2/3 no hit ball.

Oregon State pitcher Jorge Reyes was no slouch either, he allowed three scattered hits and no runs in seven innings of work then gave way to Joe Patterson who worked 1 and 1/3 innings and then turned the ball over to OSU closer Eddie Kunz for the final 2 outs in the ninth.

In the Michigan half of the ninth they were unable to tie up the score and went quietly as Kunz took care of the Wolverines as OSU took the first game of the best of three super regional.