Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Clinch Series With 5-3 Win
May 21, 2006 | Cowboy Baseball
Oklahoma State got another strong pitching performance from Brae Wright to clinch its sixth-straight series win in Big 12 Conference play with a 5-3 victory over Texas Tech on Saturday at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.
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The 13th-ranked Cowboys, whose win Saturday was their fifth in a row in league play, improved to 38-15 overall and 17-9 in the Big 12 and maintained their spot in second place in the conference standings. With the loss, Texas Tech dropped to 31-22-1 overall and 9-15-1 in the Big 12.
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OSU can clinch the No. 2 seed in next week's Big 12 Championships with a win on Sunday. The Cowboys can also earn the tourney's second seed if they lose on Sunday and
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On Saturday, Wright won his sixth conference game of 2006 to improve to 8-2 on the season. The senior southpaw tossed eight innings and allowed three runs on seven hits while racking up five strikeouts.
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After Wright gave up a two-run home run to Tyler Reves in the top of the ninth inning, the Cowboys called on Oliver Odle out of the bullpen to preserve the win. The junior right hander did just that, recording the game's final three outs for his third save of the season.
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OSU did all its scoring in the fifth and sixth innings against Texas Tech starter Aaron Odom (3-5).
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In the fifth, Corey Brown's triple scored Matt Clarkson with the Cowboys' first run, and Shelby Ford followed with an RBI single to make the score 2-0.
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Deik Scram got things started for OSU in the sixth with a leadoff single, and two batters later, Keanon Simon delivered a single of his own to put Cowboys on first and third. Rebel Ridling then drove both runners home with a double off the wall in center field. The Cowboys would push their lead to 5-0 on an RBI double by Clarkson later in the inning.
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Wright took a shutout into the eighth inning, but a one-out single by Willie Rueda was followed by Joey Callender's RBI triple to make the score 5-1.
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Simon led OSU's offense with a 3-for-4 day, while Brown and Ford were each 2-for-4 with an RBI.
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OSU goes for its fourth Big 12 series sweep of the season in Sunday's series finale, which is set for a 1 p.m. start.
