
Oklahoma State Completes Series Sweep of Arizona State
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State wrapped up the regular season by securing a series sweep of Arizona State with a 7-4 win Saturday afternoon at O’Brate Stadium.
With the win, the Cowboys improved to 27-22 overall and 15-12 in Big 12 play, while ASU dropped to 35-21 and 18-12 in the league. OSU will open play at the Big 12 Championship Wednesday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
Brayden Smith was the catalyst for the Cowboy offense in the finale, continuing his excellent series with a 3-for-4 game that included both a home run and a steal of home. Nolan Schubart and Colin Brueggemann also homered in the contest.
Ryan Ure picked up the win in relief of starter Hunter Watkins, who worked 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs while striking out eight. Ure improved to 2-4 on the season as he gave up one run on two hits over 1 2/3 frames.
Gabe Davis earned his second save of the season, working a clean ninth inning.
After Watkins struck out a pair in the first inning, the Cowboys took the lead in the bottom of the frame. Smith and Ian Daugherty got hits to start the game, putting runners on first and third for Brueggemann. The first baseman hit into an RBI fielder’s choice to score Smith and put OSU ahead 1-0; the RBI pushed Brueggemann to the 50 mark on the season.
Arizona State tied the game in the second inning courtesy of a Kien Vu home run, but Cowboys quickly regained the lead.
In the bottom of the second, OSU hitters worked four walks against ASU pitcher Easton Barrett, the fourth of which was an RBI walk from Daugherty to put the Pokes back up 2-1.
Smith brought O’Brate Stadium to its feet in the bottom of the fifth. He led off the inning with a double, stole third base, and with Brueggemann at the plate, executed a straight steal of home to push the lead to 3-1.
Watkins got into trouble in the sixth inning, allowing a run before handing the ball to Ryan Ure with a pair of Sun Devils on the bases. ASU tied the game with an RBI groundout before Ure was able to end the frame.
ASU took the lead in the seventh on a single from Matt King past a drawn-in infield that put the visitors up, 4-3.
The lead didn’t last long, however, as the Cowboys answered back with a loud bottom of the seventh. Avery Ortiz led things off with a walk before Smith caused O’Brate to erupt for the second time on the day with a go-ahead two-run home run to left-center field. It was Smith’s ninth consecutive plate appearance reaching base, which included seven hits.
It only got louder when Schubart hit a missile to left field for his 17th home run of the season. And on the very next pitch, Brueggemann did the same for his 14th homer as the back-to-back jacks put OSU up by a 7-4 margin.
Sean Youngerman pitched the eighth inning and escaped a bases-loaded jam to preserve the three-run lead, and Davis came on for the save and worked an easy, seven-pitch ninth inning to secure the sweep.