Oklahoma State Scores Early and Often in Pounding OU in Bedlam Baseball
(This story was originated by Oklahoma State University athletic media relations and was written by Wade McWhorter.)
NORMAN – Oklahoma State jumped on Oklahoma from the outset and cruised to a 14-5 win over its Bedlam rival Tuesday night at L. Dale Mitchell Park. With the victory, the Cowboys improved to 11-6, while OU fell to 9-6. OSU is now 34-13 against its Bedlam rival under head coach Josh Holliday.
OSU collected 17 hits, including three home runs, in the win, and three Cowboys – Tyler Wulfert, Kollin Ritchie and Jaxson Crull – tallied multiple RBIs. Wulfert led the way with a 2-for-5, four-RBI night, while Ritchie was 4-for-5 with three RBIs and Crull 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
OSU used six pitchers in the contest, with Gabe Davis earning his first win of the season after working 1 1/3 innings in relief and allowing just one unearned run.
Tommy Molsky was also strong out of the bullpen as the right-hander came on for starter Ryan Bogusz in the third inning and struck out the first six batters he faced en route to a career-high eight strikeouts. That total bested his previous high of seven, which he posted last season as a sophomore at Penn State against Rutgers.
The Cowboys took control of the scoreboard in their first at bat. With runners on the corners and one out, an infield single by Aidan Meola brought home OSU's first run.
The Pokes were far from done as Wulfert followed Meola with a two-RBI double off the wall in center field before Ritchie stepped to the plate and crushed a three-run homer to right field.
OSU capped its scoring on an RBI sac bunt by Crull as the Cowboys sent 11 batters to the plate and took a 7-0 lead after the first half inning.
The Sooners would get two runs back in the bottom of the first, but OSU struck again in the second to go up 8-2 before putting up another crooked number in the fourth.
Zach Ehrhard opened the fourth with a single, and after stealing second, he scored on a double by Carson Benge. Up next, Wulfert smashed a two-run homer to left field to extend the OSU advantage to 11-2.
OU scored its only runs off Molsky in the fifth, drawing a pair of walks with the bases loaded to cut its deficit to 11-4 before Davis came on and retired Kendall Pettis to strand the bases full of Sooners.
The Cowboys added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh when Crull ripped a two-RBI single to center field.
Colin Brueggemann mashed his team-leading fourth round tripper of the season over the center-field wall to open the eighth inning and cap the OSU scoring.
OSU returns to action Friday when the Cowboys open Big 12 Conference play at UCF.