AUSTIN, Texas – Oklahoma State dropped its series with Texas Saturday as the 14th-ranked Cowboys suffered a 6-3 setback at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
With the loss, OSU fell to 31-16 overall and 14-9 in Big 12 play, while the Longhorns improved to 30-18 and 15-8 in the league.
Carson Benge had two of OSU’s five hits in the contest, while Zach Ehrhard, Nolan Schubart and Lane Forsythe picked up RBIs for the Pokes.
Gabe Davis took the loss for OSU out of the bullpen to fall to 1-3 on the season as he gave up a two-run home run to Max Belyeu in the eighth inning that proved to be the difference.
OSU starter Brian Holiday worked 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs, two of those earned, on just three hits and striking out six.
UT took an early lead in its first at bat as an error and a walk led to a two-RBI double from Belyeu to put the Horns up 2-0 after one inning.
After the opening inning, Holiday settled in and became locked in a pitcher’s duel with UT’s Ace Whitehead as both pitchers posted zeroes from the second through fourth innings.
In the fifth, OSU would finally get on the board. Back-to-back walks to Forsythe and Tyler Wulfert led off the inning, and a single by Benge with one out loaded the bases. The Cowboys then plated a run when Ehrhard was hit by a pitch to make the score 2-1.
The Cowboys tied the score in the seventh. Benge got things started with a single, and two batters later, Schubart smashed an RBI double off the top of the wall in right-center field to make the score 2-2.
UT answered to go back on top in the bottom of the frame. After retiring 13 batters in a row, Holiday issued a leadoff walk in the seventh, which was followed by a single to put Horns on the corners. Up next, Holiday would get Rylan Galvan to ground into a double play, which brought home the go-ahead run.
This time it was the Cowboys answering. Colin Brueggemann led off the eighth with a double to left field, and a balk moved pinch runner Addison Smith to third. Two batters later, Smith raced home with the tying run on a slow ground ball off the bat of Forsythe to make the score 3-3.
In the bottom of the eighth, Davis retired the first two UT batters before Peyton Powell singled to bring up Belyeu, who delivered his 17th homer of the season to right-center field.
The two teams conclude the series Sunday at 1 p.m.
