Cowboy Baseball Drops Series Finale
LUBBOCK, Texas – Oklahoma State dropped the rubber game of its Big 12 Conference opening series Sunday as No. 4 Texas Tech handed the ninth-ranked Cowboys a 6-5 loss at Rip Griffin Park.
OSU is now 12-5-1 on the season, while the Red Raiders improved to 16-4.
The Cowboys rallied in the ninth, scoring a pair of runs and loading the bases with two outs, but struck out to end the game.
Bryce Osmond took the loss on the mound as the right-hander allowed five runs in 3 2/3 innings to fall to 2-1; he gave up four hits and issued five walks while also striking out five.
Offensively, the Cowboys were led by Christian Encarnacion-Strand as he went 3-for-5 at the plate with a home run and two RBIs. Caeden Trenkle also had an RBI double for OSU.
TTU took a lead it never surrendered in the third. Dru Baker brought home the first run with an RBI double, and Jace Jung followed with a two-run homer to make the score 3-0.
OSU answered with a run in the fourth on Trenkle’s RBI double and loaded the bases with one out, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the rally.
The Red Raiders tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the frame to extend their lead to 5-1. The first run came home on a throwing error before an RBI double by Cal Conley plated TTU’s fifth run.
Trailing 6-1 after five, OSU cut its deficit in half in the sixth on Encarnacion-Strand’s two-run homer to left field, a shot that left the stadium and marked his team-leading sixth round tripper of the season.
The score remained 6-3 until the ninth. With two outs, Nolan McLean was hit by a pitch, and Jake Thompson walked. Up next, Encarnacion-Stranded reached on a fielder’s choice, and a throwing error on the play brought home a run.
OSU continued to take advantage of free bases as Trenkle walked to load the bases. Brock Mathis then drew a five-pitch walk, collecting an RBI and trimming the TTU lead to 6-5.
With the bases still full of Cowboys, Justin Campbell worked a 2-0 count against Brendan Girton before TTU turned to the bullpen. Derek Bridges would come on and get Campbell swinging to end the game.
OSU returns to action Tuesday when it hosts Missouri State in the first of a 12-game homestand at O’Brate Stadium.