STILLWATER – Oklahoma State dropped both games of a doubleheader to No. 3 Texas Saturday at O’Brate Stadium as the Longhorns picked up a 4-3 win in the series opener before knocking off the 19th-ranked Cowboys, 5-2, in the nightcap.
OSU is now 23-12-1 and 6-8 in Big 12 Conference play, while UT extended its winning streak to 16 games in improving to 33-8 and 12-2 in the league.
In the opener, the Horns jumped out to a 4-0 lead after three innings against OSU starter Bryce Osmond as the visitors scored a pair of runs in the first and then went up four on a two-run home run by Zach Zubia in the third.
Despite taking the loss to fall to 2-3 on the season, Osmond would settle in and have a strong day on the mound, racking up a career-high 10 strikeouts in eight innings of work, also a career best. He allowed just three hits and walked three.
The Cowboys struggled offensively against UT starter Ty Madden, who struck out 12 in six innings in improving to 6-1, but rallied in the sixth and made things interesting late.
Max Hewitt got things started in the home half of the sixth with a triple, and back-to-back RBI doubles by Jake Thompson and Carson McCusker made the score 4-2. The Pokes pulled to within one on a throwing error following a Cade Cabbiness base hit.
The Cowboys left two runners on base in both the seventh and eighth innings before Aaron Nixon closed the door for UT in the ninth to earn his fourth save.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand collected a single in the seventh inning to extend his hitting streak to 19 games, but the streak was snapped with an 0-for-3 outing in the nightcap.
In the second game, Texas used three home runs off OSU starter Justin Campbell to secure the win.
OSU took the game’s initial lead in the second on an RBI single by Hueston Morrill, but the Horns went on top for good on a two-run homer off the bat of Douglas Hodo III in the fourth. A solo homer in the fifth and another two-run shot in the sixth extended the Texas lead to 5-1.
The Cowboys’ final run in the nightcap came in the sixth as they loaded the bases with one out and scored on a sacrifice fly by McCusker.
Campbell took the loss on the hill in game two to fall to 4-1 as the right-hander allowed five runs on five hits while walking three and striking out four.
The two teams return to action for Sunday’s finale at 1 p.m.
