CORVALLIS, Ore. (Interstat) — Ethan Kleinschmit pitched five innings of three-hit ball and Wyatt Queen closed with four innings of two-hit relief as Oregon State beat Air Force 7-4 on Thursday night at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field.

The Beavers improved to 42-11, while the Falcons dropped to 24-25.

Oregon State trailed 4-0 after the top of the first inning but answered with two runs in the bottom half and four more in the third to seize control. The decisive frame came when Ethan Porter cracked a two-run double and Josh Proctor followed with a two-run double, turning a 4-2 deficit into a 6-4 lead.

Air Force scored all of its runs in the first inning, taking advantage of two walks, a single, a double and a passed ball. With two outs, Walker Zapp doubled down the left-field line to drive in the first run, then a passed ball allowed a second run to score and moved Zapp to third. A second passed ball brought Zapp home for a 4-0 advantage.

Kleinschmit settled in after the rocky start. He allowed three hits and one earned run, walking two and striking out six. Queen surrendered two earned runs on two hits with seven strikeouts over four innings to earn the save. The Beavers bullpen worked around a solo home run by Air Force’s Tripp Garrish in the ninth inning that cut the lead to 7-4.

Paul Vazquez put Oregon State on the board in the bottom of the first with a two-run home run, his eighth of the season, scoring Kaden Hubbard who had walked. Porter followed with a single, and after a single by Cade Haight, the Beavers had two on but Proctor struck out to end the inning.

In the third, Air Force starter Blake Poe was pulled after Hubbard walked and Vazquez singled. Marcus Downing replaced Poe and immediately allowed Porter’s double to left-center that scored both runners to tie the game 4-4. Porter advanced to third on a wild pitch, Haight walked, and Proctor doubled to left-center to score both and make it 6-4.

Oregon State added an insurance run in the fifth. With the bases loaded and two outs, Hubbard walked to force in a run, pushing the lead to 7-4.

Air Force threatened in the ninth when Garrish homered to center field, scoring Sam Niednagel who had walked. But Queen struck out Zapp to end the game.

For Air Force, Gunner Gilmore threw 2 1-3 hitless innings with two strikeouts, and Davis Rhyne pitched a scoreless eighth. Garrish finished 1 for 3 with the homer and two RBIs. Zapp went 2 for 4 with an RBI. The Falcons managed five hits total.

Vazquez was 2 for 5 with a homer and two RBIs. Porter was 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Proctor drove in two runs on a double. The Beavers collected seven hits.

Air Force jumped ahead early but could not hold the lead. The Falcons had won 10-9 over Washington State on Sunday, but the Beavers entered on a four-game winning streak after beating Portland 8-3 on Tuesday.

The game marked the start of a two-game series between the teams. Oregon State’s ELO system had projected an 85.30 percent probability of victory, and Interstat’s game simulator forecast a 7-6 final score. The Beavers were installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 3.5.