Rocker and Leiter as Good as Advertised as Vandy Sweeps Pokes in Saturday DH
(Pokes Report’s Robert Allen contributed to this story.)
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State dropped both games of a doubleheader to Vanderbilt Saturday at O’Brate Stadium as the ninth-ranked Cowboys fell 5-0 in the opener before an 18-4 setback in the nightcap. The losses were the first of the season for the Cowboys, who are now 10-2-1, while Vandy improved to 12-1.
In the opener, the Cowboys were stifled offensively by Vandy All-American Kumar Rocker, who improved to 4-0 with an eight-inning effort that saw him strike out nine while issuing just one walk. He only allowed a couple of hits before leaving in the eighth inning. Rocker went to 4-0 on the season and kept his earned run average at a perfect 0.00. Oklahoma State hitter struggled to get a decent barrell on the ball. OSU’s hits came via a single from Max Hewitt in the second and a pinch-hit double off the bat of Brock Mathis in the sixth.
Parker Scott took the loss on the mound for the Cowboys as the southpaw gave up two runs on three hits in four innings of work to fall to 3-1.
Scott issued four walks in the contest, three of those coming in the third inning as Vandy plated its first run on a free pass with the bases loaded.
The Commodores added another run in the fourth before extending that lead to 4-0 in the fifth on RBI singles by Parker Noland and Enrique Bradfield Jr.
In the second contest, the game entered the fourth inning scoreless, but the Commodores loaded the bases on a single and two walks before Tate Kolwyck stepped to the plate and delivered a grand slam to put the visitors up 4-0. Jack Leiter, the son of former Major League All-Star pitcher Al Leiter, had hit pitch count get up but he threw five very effective innings shutting out the Cowboys and only allowing a couple of hits while walking three and striking out seven. His dad, now a broadcaster for MLB Network was in the stadium to watch him pitch. His Uncle, Kevin, was once a pitcher for Oklahoma State. Leiter was the winner for the Commodores.
Vandy added six runs in the sixth and two in the seventh to go up 12-0 before the Cowboys got on the board on a two-run home run by Cade Cabbiness, his second round tripper of the season, in the bottom of the seventh.
OSU tallied its final two runs in the ninth, getting RBIs from Jake Thompson and Christian Encarnacion-Strand.
Starter Justin Wrobleski took the loss in game two, striking out five but walking seven in three innings.
Sunday’s series finale is scheduled for 1 p.m.