Oklahoma State Baseball Bounces Back In Upset of No. 22 Kansas State
STILLWATER –Harrison Bodendorf shined as Oklahoma State knocked off No. 22 Kansas State, 4-3, in Friday's series opener at O'Brate Stadium.
With the win, which marked OSU's third over a ranked opponent this season, the Cowboys improved to 13-14 overall and 2-6 in Big 12 play. K-State is now 20-9 and 8-2 in the league.
The victory also marked a program milestone as it was the Cowboys' 100th win at O'Brate Stadium, which opened in 2021.
Bodendorf had a career night on the mound as the southpaw picked up the win after pitching seven innings and striking out a career-high 12 while allowing just one unearned run on two hits.
The 12 strikeouts and seven innings were the most by a Cowboy pitcher this season as Bodendorf improved to 6-1; his ERA dropped to 3.67 ERA while he is now averaging 11.6 strikeouts per nine innings.
Hunter Watkins recorded the final out to pick up his first save as he got K-State's top hitter, Maximus Martin, to pop out with the bases loaded to end the game.
Brayden Smith had another great day at the dish, reaching base four times and going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI.
After Bodendorf got six consecutive outs via strikeout between the second and third innings, the Cowboys took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third on a Smith double that scored Drew Culbertson. The RBI double extended Smith's hitting streak to 14 games.
Bodendorf allowed an unearned run in the fourth inning but bounced back nicely in the fifth, striking out three in the frame for the third time in the game.
In the bottom of the fifth, Smith picked up his second double of the day, and Nolan Schubart hit a bullet RBI single that David Bishop couldn't handle at first base to put the Pokes back up 2-1.
Mario Pesca came on in relief in the eighth inning and picked up right where Bodendorf left off, striking out the side on 14 pitches.
The Cowboys added a pair of crucial insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth after Garrett Shullcollected an RBI groundout and Culbertson scored on a wild pitch to bring the score to 4-1.
Pesca was able to retire the first two batters in the ninth before back-to-back singles knocked him from the game.
After two walks brought in a run, Watkins inherited the bases loaded with a 4-2 lead. He walked in a run before getting an infield pop up to seal the win.
The second game of the series is scheduled for Saturday at 6 p.m.
