Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma Hands Cowboys Fifth-Straight Loss
May 27, 2007 | Cowboy Baseball
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma State surrendered five runs in the bottom of the ninth inning and fell to Oklahoma, 9-8, at the Big 12 Conference Baseball Championship on Friday night at the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark.
The loss was the fifth in a row for the 15th-ranked Cowboys (38-18) and ended OSU's chances of advancing to Sunday's championship game. The Pokes will end tourney play against
OSU led 8-4 entering the final half inning, but the Sooners loaded the bases with one out against Cowboy reliever Jordy Mercer. OU would get its first run on an RBI single by Aaron Baker, and after Mercer recorded a strikeout for the second out, Joseph Hughes collected a two-RBI single to make the score 8-7.
The Sooners (34-23) were not done. Mike Gosse walked to again load the bases and bring pinch hitter Brandon Moss to the plate. Mercer worked the count to 0-2 but then uncorked a wild pitch to plate Baker with the tying run. The next pitch was also wild and allowed Hughes to score the winning run.
Mercer suffered the first loss of his OSU career and dropped to 2-1 on the season. The sophomore right hander allowed five runs on four hits in 1.1 innings of work.
The late rally, which also saw the Sooners score twice in the eighth inning, snapped OSU's three-game winning streak against its Bedlam rival in a game they led throughout.
The Cowboys jumped out to a three-run lead in their first at bat, doing all of the damage with two outs.
Corey Brown got the rally started with a walk, and after Brown stole second, Tyler Mach brought him home with a double. After a walk to Matt Mangini and an infield single by Rebel Ridling loaded the bases, Jordy Mercer delivered another double, this one driving in a pair of runs and making the score 3-0.
OU cut into the Cowboys' lead in the second. Three consecutive singles loaded the bases, and the Sooners pushed a run across the plate when Joseph Hughes grounded into a double play. But that was all they would get as Oliver Odle pitched out of the jam to maintain OSU's 3-1 lead.
The Sooners cut into the lead again in the fourth. Once again, three-straight singles loaded the bases, and an RBI groundout by Aljay Davis made the score 3-2.
OSU's lead remained at one until the seventh when the Cowboys rallied for a pair of runs. Ty Wright's triple to right field jump started the inning, and two batters later Mach's second RBI of the contest came on a single and gave the Pokes a two-run advantage.
The Cowboys added three runs in the eighth, getting RBI hits from Wright and Corey Brown.
Mach led OSU with a 4-for-5, three-RBI day, while Wright was 3-for-6 and extended his Big 12-record hitting streak to 33 games.
