Oklahoma State Drops Series Opener 12-6 to Illinois State

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State lost its series opener against Illinois State, 12-6, Friday night at O’Brate Stadium.

With the loss, the 14th-ranked Cowboys fell to 7-6, while the Redbirds improved to 3-8.

The schedule for the remaining two games of the series has changed as the two teams will now play a doubleheader Sunday beginning at noon.

Colin Brueggemann was a bright spot for the Pokes offensively in the opener, collecting two hits and three RBIs, while Nolan Schubart continued his great start to the season with a 2-for-3 effort that included a pair of walks. 

Gabe Davis took the mound to start for the Cowboys and took the loss as he pitched two innings, allowing three runs, one earned, on one hit and three walks. Davis also hit a pair of Redbirds.

Davis struggled with his command to open the game, walking in a run without allowing a hit, but was able to induce a strikeout and pop out to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning.

The first and only hit Davis allowed was an RBI single to increase the Illinois State lead to 3-0 in the second inning.

Stormy Rhodes relieved Davis of his duties and gave the Cowboys their first scoreless frame of the game in the third, and Brueggemann got OSU on the board in the bottom of the inning, smoking an RBI double to left-center field to cut the deficit to 3-2.

The Redbirds responded with a three-run fourth inning to put the Cowboys in a 6-2 hole.

In the bottom of the fourth, Garrett Shull drove in Kollin Ritchie with a single, and the Pokes were able to get Redbirds’ starter Tanner Perry out of the game after 3 2/3 innings. Brock Thompson went on to score on a wild pitch to make the score 6-4.

The Cowboys couldn’t get a shutdown inning in the fifth, as ISU scored three more runs to push its lead to 9-4.

OSU had some life in the seventh inning, scoring two runs. Brueggemann picked up his third RBI of the game and 18th of the season with a single up the middle, and Alex Conover had a pinch-hit single to score Brueggemann to make it a 9-6 game.

ISU immediately answered with a leadoff home run in the eighth off the bat of Daniel Pacella to make the score 10-6 and added two more insurance runs in the ninth.