Cowboy Baseball Falls In Game Two Of Texas Series

Saturday, March 24

Austin, TX

2:30 PM

Oklahoma State University

11-9-1, 0

Texas

14-10, 0

Oklahoma State

Texas

Matt Kroon

March 24, 2018 | Cowboy Baseball

Box Score

Box Score (PDF)

AUSTIN, Texas – Oklahoma State dropped a 7-1 contest Saturday to even its weekend series against Texas at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

With the loss, the Cowboys fall to 11-9-1 overall and 1-1 in Big 12 Conference play while UT is now 14-10 and 4-1 in the league. The two teams will square off in the rubber game of the series Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

Matt Kroon led OSU at the plate with a 3-for-4 day that included a pair of doubles, while Jon Littell added two hits for the Pokes. Colin Simpson drove in the Cowboys' lone run.

Jonathan Heasley took the loss on the mound to fall to 2-3 on the season. The sophomore right-hander tossed 5 1/3 innings and allowed six runs, five of them earned, on six hits; he also recorded four strikeouts and four walks.

"We weren't as disciplined (offensively) in the approach we wanted to take like we were (Friday) when the kids were fantastic at sticking to the game plan," said OSU head coach Josh Holliday. "We weren't quite as committed or as mentally aggressive in believing in what we were doing…

"But we were hanging right in there, we just never made that push and they were able to keep us off the board early. We were in the game, we just didn't play well enough to win the game. When you make mistakes against a team like Texas in their ballpark, you're probably not going to win."

Texas scored each of its first three runs in the game with two outs, and the Longhorns took their first lead in the third. After David Hamilton drew a one-out walk, he stole second and took third on a fly out. Duke Ellis then delivered a two-out RBI single to left field to put the home team up, 1-0.

UT starter Nolan Kingham, who improved to 4-2 with an eight-inning effort, retired OSU's first nine batters in order to open the game before Ryan Cash led off the fourth with a single. Kroon followed with a single of his own, but the Cowboys could not take advantage as a fly out, caught stealing and pop out ended the threat.

The Longhorns added to their lead with another two-out score in the bottom of the inning. Again it was a walk that doomed Heasley as Zach Zubia drew a free pass to open the inning before moving to third base following a sacrifice bunt and a groundout. He came in to score on a wild pitch to give the home team a 2-0 advantage.

OSU faced a three-run deficit after five innings before breaking through for a run in the sixth with a two-out rally of its own. Kroon got things started with a double to right-center field, and up next, Simpson delivered an RBI single to cut the UT lead to 3-1.

However, the Longhorns would extend their lead and knock Heasley from the game in the bottom of the inning. Following a leadoff walk and a single, Heasley got a force out at third on a sac bunt attempt, but the next batter, DJ Petrinsky, doubled down the left field line to bring home a pair of runs and make the score 5-1. UT would add another run in the inning on a throwing error by Kroon.

Noah Sifrit worked the final 2 2/3 innings for the Pokes, and the freshman southpaw did not allow an earned run while giving up just two hits.