Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Power Past Kansas In Series Opener
April 15, 2006 | Cowboy Baseball
Oklahoma State remained perfect in Big 12 Conference games at home this season as they opened a three-game series against Kansas with a 9-5 win Friday night at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.
Junior Shelby Ford broke out of his offensive slump with a two-home run, four-RBI outing to help the Cowboys improve to 20-11 overall and 4-6 in Big 12 play. OSU is now 17-1 at Reynolds Stadium this season.
The Cowboys took a 1-0 lead in their first at bat with Steve Ptak scoring from third when Tyler Mach grounded into a double play. Ptak walked to lead off the inning and took third on a Jordy Mercer single.
KU (24-14, 6-7) tied the score in the top of the second inning on an RBI single by Gus Milner, one of three singles in the inning by the Jayhawks.
Ford's fifth home run of the season, a solo shot to left field in the bottom of the second, put OSU back on top. The blast was Ford's first homer since March 4, when he hit a pair of round trippers against Cal State-Northridge.
OSU added to its lead via the long ball in the third as Tyler Mach's solo homer, his team-leading 10th of the season, made the score 3-1.
In the fourth, Milner collected his second RBI single of the game, this one scoring John Allman with two outs to make the score 3-2.
The Cowboys broke the game open with a four-run rally in the sixth. Deik Scram and Ty Wright both walked to lead off the inning, and Scram scored when KU committed an error on Adam Carr's sacrifice bunt. Ford then stepped to the plate and smashed an opposite-field, three-run home run to left-center field to make the score 7-2.
Things got interesting in the eighth as the Jayhawks, trailing by four runs, loaded the bases with two outs. But OSU reliever Jordy Mercer struck out pinch hitter Justin Ellrich to end the threat.
Mercer retired KU in order in the ninth for the first save of his collegiate career. That helped OSU starter Matt Gardner improve to 2-2 on the mound as the sophomore right hander picked up the win after striking out four in 6.1 innings of work.
Ford, who entered the game 4-for-34 in Big 12 play, finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs. Keanon Simon was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Starter Sean Land suffered the loss for KU, falling to 4-6 on the season. Milner led the Jayhawks' offense with a 3-for-4, three-RBI night.
The second game of the series is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m., with Sunday's finale slated for a 1 p.m. start.
