Not Enough Home Runs and Too Many Strike Out for Pokes vs. Houston

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State fell to Houston, 7-4, in the opening game of the weekend series Friday at O'Brate Stadium. With the loss, the Cowboys fell to 16-19 overall and 5-9 in the Big 12, while the Cougars improved to 21-17 and 6-10 in conference play.

Harrison Bodendorf made his 10th start of the season for the Cowboys coming off two excellent starts against Kansas State and Arizona. The southpaw pitched 4 2/3 innings, striking out seven while allowing two runs.

Kollin Ritchie and Ian Daugherty both homered in the contest, driving in three of the four OSU runs.

OSU had a big inning in the fourth, scoring three. Nolan Schubart brought in the first run of the game with a single to right field that scored Brock Thompson after Thompson reached on a leadoff walk. Up next, Ritchie hit a deep shot into the right-center field bleachers to push the lead to 3-0. It was Ritchie's sixth home run of the season.

The Cougars responded in the top of the fifth, scoring two runs off Bodendorf and knocking him out of the game. Hunter Watkins entered the game and recorded a strikeout to end the inning.

Daugherty answered back in the bottom of the frame with his sixth home run of the year, extending the OSU lead to 4-2.

The Cougars loaded the bases against Watkins in the sixth, and Tre Broussard cleared them with a three-run double to put the visitors on top. Houston extended its lead in the eighth, adding a pair of insurance runs to make it a 7-4 game.

Watkins took the loss, falling to 4-2, as the righty allowed three runs on two hits in 1 1/3 innings.

Antoine Jean came out of the UH bullpen in relief of starter Paul Schmitz and worked the final five innings, allowing just one run and striking out eight, to get the win and improve to 4-1.

The second game of the weekend series is set for Saturday at 6 p.m.