Oklahoma State Bangs the Ball Around But Loses Series Opener to K-State
(Pokes Report publisher Robert Allen contributed to this story that was originated with Oklahoma State University athletic media relations.)
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State’s late rally came up short in a 10-9 loss to Kansas State in Friday’s series opener at O’Brate Stadium. With the loss, the 13th-ranked Cowboys fell to 33-15 overall and 11-8 in the Big 12, while No. 15 K-State improved to 32-18 and 12-7 in the league.
Nolan Schubart collected his 15th multi-hit game of the season for the Pokes, going 4-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs, while Chase Adkison was 2-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs.
Juaron Watts-Brown took the loss and dropped to 5-3 as the right-hander worked 4 1/3 innings and struck out six while allowing six runs. He made too many mistake pitches with runners on base and he continues to struggle to be consistent, especially for a Friday night starter.
Isaac Stebens came out of the bullpen with two runners on and one out the seventh inning and allowed two runners to score but went on to work a scoreless eighth and ninth inning, striking out five to give OSU a chance to come back.
K-State took a 2-0 lead in the second inning, but Nolan McLean’s first home run since March 31 and ninth of the season tied the game in the bottom of the inning.
The Wildcats scratched across two more runs in the third inning, but OSU continued to battle, tying the game behind Adkison and Tyler Wulfert RBIs.
The visitors took the lead again in the fifth, scoring two runs on a Kaelen Culpepper double, before OSU responded for a third time by getting a Schubart RBI single to make the score 6-5.
Kansas State rallied for four runs in the seventh to take a 10-5 lead. Nick Goodwin had a big night going for 4-for-5 with three RBI, two runs scored, and he had one of four doubles on the night for K-State. The Cowboys came back and got RBI singles from Adkison and Schubart in the bottom of the frame and brought the Wildcats’ lead down to three.
Still trailing 10-7 with two outs in the ninth, OSU got a base hit from Adkison before Schubart blasted a two-run homer over the left-field wall to bring the tying run to the plate, but a strikeout ended the game.
The two teams will be back in action Saturday at 1 p.m., with first pitch for the series finale on Sunday also set for 1 p.m.