Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Kansas St
Cowboys Tame Wildcats, 8-4
April 07, 2000 | Cowboy Baseball
April 7, 2000
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Oklahoma State scored four runs in the top of the ninth, breaking open a 4-4 tie game to defeat Kansas State 8-4 Friday afternoon at Frank Myers Field.
The teams played the contest despite 45-50 mile per hour swirling winds which changed the flight of the ball throughout the afternoon.
OSU took a 5-4 lead in the ninth after Ryan Budde knocked a double to right and scored when Curt Anthony reached on a throwing error by Wildcat third baseman Josh Cavender. The Pokes added three more runs off a RBI single Rob Watson and a two-run single by Luke Scott.
Pitcher Josh Merrigan had a solid outing pitching seven innings and giving up four runs, only one earned, off of eight hits while striking out six. He got out of a bases loaded jam with one out in the sixth with o out but did not factor in the decision.
Clint Salisbury (4-2), who came on in relief of Merrigan in the eighth, picked up his fourth win of the season and second consecutive win out of the bullpen this week.
The Cowboys opened the scoring in the contest in the first when Rob Watson hit a run scoring double and scored himself after a RBI single by Luke Scott, giving OSU a 2-0 lead.
Kansas State tallied three runs of its own in the bottom of the inning, all unearned, as Mark English hit a two-run triple and scored on a wild pitch by Merrigan.
OSU took a 4-3 lead in fourth when Budde knocked in Toby Rhodes from second with a double and later scored himself on a RBI single by Carl?s Gautreaux.
Wildcat rightfielder Preston Oleen's RBI triple in the sixth tied the game at 4-4 but KSU could not get any closer and dropped to 9-20 overall and 1-14 in Big 12 play.
Oklahoma State improved to 19-12 with its fifth straight win and 6-7 in conference play. Luke Scott led OSU with three hits while Carl?s Gautreaux extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a 2-for-3 afternoon.
The teams will lock up in the second game of the three game set Saturday at 2 p.m. Junior Matt Smith is slated to get the start on the mound for OSU.
Oklahoma State 200 200 004 - 8 10 1 Kansas State 300 001 000 - 4 9 1Merrigan, Salisbury (8), Rushing (9) and Budde, Robertson, Lundwall (9) and McAlister. W- Salisbury 4-2, L- Lundwall 1-2.
