Oklahoma Wins Bedlam in First Round of the Big 12 Tournament
(Pokes Report publisher Robert Allen contributed to the story originated by Wade McWhorter and Oklahoma State University athletic media relations.)
ARLINGTON, Texas – Oklahoma State came up short against Bedlam-rival Oklahoma in the opening round of the Big 12 Championship Wednesday as the 12th-ranked Cowboys dropped a 9-5 contest at Globe Life Field. With the loss, the second-seeded Cowboys fell to 37-17 on the season. OSU will face the loser of the final first round game between sixth-seed Texas Tech and third-seed West Virginia. The elimination game will be played on Thursday at 12:30 p.m.
Marcus Brown paced the Pokes at the plate as he went 3-for-4 with a home run, while Carson Benge collected a pair of RBIs.
Benge took the loss on the mound to fall to 2-2 on the season. The right-hander allowed seven runs on five hits in 2 1/3 innings while also allowing three walks.
OSU’s five pitchers combined to issue 13 walks and also a pair of hit by pitches. Too much free baseball and runner loaded up the Oklahoma offense on the afternoon. Oklahoma struck early and often enough to stay ahead of the Cowboys start to finish.
OU took the jumped out to a lead in its first at bat. Following walks to the first two batters and a fly out to move them into scoring position, Dakota Harris singled up the middle to give the Sooners a 2-0 lead. Later in the inning, a two-out RBI single pushed the lead to three.
The Sooners plated a run in the second and added three more in the third to take a 7-0 advantage.
OSU began to cut into that lead in the third. After back-to-back singles by Nolan McLean and Brown, Zach Ehrhard ripped a double to left field to bring home the Cowboys’ first run. Two batters later, Benge delivered a two-out, two-RBI single to make the score 7-3.
The Cowboys drew closer in the fifth, getting a solo home run from Brown to cut the OU lead to 7-4. The blast was Brown’s ninth homer and was OSU’s 100th round-tripper of the season. It marks the first time the Pokes have hit 100 home runs in a season since 1999.
OU extended its lead once again in the seventh, plating runs on a throwing error by Cowboys pitcher Bayden Root and a walk with the bases loaded to go up 9-4.
The Cowboys’ final run of the contest came in the ninth on a two-out RBI double by Roc Riggio. Too little, too late and now the Cowboys play a tough opponent on Thursday to stay alive in the Big 12 Tournament.