LUBBOCK, Texas – “This is one of those games where you’re going to rethink several pitches, several situations where if something was different then we could have won the game,” Oklahoma State head coach Josh Holliday lamented after watching his team fall just short in a rally in the top of the ninth in losing 4-2 to Texas Tech.
“I just thought that Caeden (Trenkle) was going to line the ball into left right at our bullpen and the wind would carry that over the fence and into the pen,” Holliday added. “I’ve seen him do it many times.”
Trenkle was the Cowboys last hitter and to be fair, and Holliday agreed, he had a good at bat with two outs in the top of the ninth and Cowboys Christian Encarnacion at third and pinch runner Jaxson Crull at second base. Trenkle lined the ball to left but there was not enough on it to get to the “sweet spot” where the right corner to left corner wind was blowing balls out.
Prior to Trenkle, the Cowboys Jake Thompson, who was three-for-four on the day had singled to center field and scored Nolan McLean. That was the situation left for Trenkle, but it was too little to late for the Pokes.
The Big 12 opening series with Texas Tech is now one each, as Oklahoma State shut out Texas Tech on Friday night 2-0 behind a big-time pitching performance from left-handed starter Parker Scott and a save out of the pen from Brett Standlee. The win was the 100th Big 12 league win for the Cowboys Josh Holliday.
Texas Tech started the scoring on Saturday with a solo home run from their right fielder Kurt Wilson as he hit that “sweet spot” in left field and the fly ball became a big fly as it curled around the foul pole down the left field line.
The Cowboys tied the game in the top of the fourth when Thompson singled home catcher Max Hewitt, who had led off the inning with a single.
Tied 1-1, the bottom of the fourth was ugly for the Cowboys as Tech’s Dylan Neuse led off with a double to the alley in left. Cowboys starter Justin Wrobleski waled Nate Rombach and then when shortstop Cal Conley bunted Wrobleski came off the mound and fielded it toward third base but his throw was wide of first baseman Alix Garcia and went into right field. It got past right fielder Nolan McLean and Neuse and Rombach both scored, and Conley wound up at third. Conley scored on a ground out to short and Tech led 4-1.
Wrobleski got the loss as Justin Campbell came on and pitched two spotless innings of relief. Wrobleski is now 1-2 on the season. For the Red Raiders Patrick Monteverde got the win and he is 4-0 on the season.
The Cowboys fall to 12-4-1 overall and are 1-1 in the Big 12, while Texas Tech is now 15-4 and 1-1 in the Big 12.
The two teams play the rubber game in the series on Sunday at 2 p.m. The Cowboys will pitch Bryce Osmond and Texas Tech is expected to pitch Mason Montgomery. The Cowboys will sport their Orange jerseys for the traditional “Orange Crush” Sunday.
