Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Top No. 24 Oregon State
March 07, 2009 | Cowboy Baseball
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — Oklahoma State won its fourth-straight game Friday with a 7-5 triumph over 24th-ranked Oregon State at the Palm Springs Invitational.
With the win, the 11th-ranked Cowboys improved to 8-1 on the season, while Oregon State dropped to 5-3.
Andrew Oliver picked up his third win of the season with a six inning effort against the Beavers. The junior southpaw worked six innings, allowing three runs on six hits, and also collected seven strikeouts. He has now had at least seven strikeouts in each of his three starts this season, and he has also won eight-straight decisions dating back to last season.
Freshman Randy McCurry had another strong performance out of the Cowboy bullpen, earning his fourth save by pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
Offensively, Doug Kroll continued his offensive prowess as he was 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Kroll is the only Cowboy to hit safely in each of OSU's games this season.
Tom Belza also continued his hot hitting as he was 4-for-5 against the Beavers. Belza is 8-for-12 in OSU's first two games in Palm Springs.
The Cowboys got on the scoreboard in the second inning when Dean Green crushed a solo home run to right field. The blast was Green's first homer of the season.
The Beavers tied the score in the bottom of the inning. Ryan Ortiz led off the frame with a double, and after advancing to third on a groundout, he would score on a balk by Oliver with two outs.
It didn't take long for the Cowboys to regain the lead. In the third inning, three-straight singles plated OSU's second run in the form of Mark Ginther, who started the rally with the first hit of his collegiate career and scored on an RBI single off the bat of Belza.
The Cowboys were not done. After a walk to Kevin David loaded the bases, Neil Medchill struck out for the second out of the inning. But Kroll came up big, delivering a two-RBI single to make the score 4-1.
Once again, Oregon State answered, taking advantage of three hits and a pair of wild pitches to score twice in the bottom of the inning. Both Joey Wong and Adalberto Sanchez reached on singles and advanced to second on wild pitches, and both eventually scored to make the score 4-3.
Kroll continued his hot hitting to add to the Cowboys' lead in the fifth as he recorded his second two-RBI single of the contest to push the lead to 6-3. Green followed with an opposite-field single to bring home a run.
The score remained 7-3 until the bottom of the seventh. Thomas Keeling came on in relief of Oliver and promptly gave up a leadoff triple to Adalberto, and Stefen Romero followed with a single to plate the Beavers' fourth run.
Oregon State continued to chip away at the lead in the eighth. Carter Bell led off the inning with a single and later scored on fielder's choice by Wong to make the score 7-5.
In the ninth, McCurry quickly retired the first two Beaver hitters before issuing a walk to pinch-hitter Brett Casey, which brought the tying run to the plate. But McCurry struck out Koa Kahalehoe to end the game and secure the Cowboys' eighth win.
The Cowboys return to action Saturday against San Francisco. Game time is scheduled for 8 p.m. (CST).
With the win, the 11th-ranked Cowboys improved to 8-1 on the season, while Oregon State dropped to 5-3.
Andrew Oliver picked up his third win of the season with a six inning effort against the Beavers. The junior southpaw worked six innings, allowing three runs on six hits, and also collected seven strikeouts. He has now had at least seven strikeouts in each of his three starts this season, and he has also won eight-straight decisions dating back to last season.
Freshman Randy McCurry had another strong performance out of the Cowboy bullpen, earning his fourth save by pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
Offensively, Doug Kroll continued his offensive prowess as he was 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Kroll is the only Cowboy to hit safely in each of OSU's games this season.
Tom Belza also continued his hot hitting as he was 4-for-5 against the Beavers. Belza is 8-for-12 in OSU's first two games in Palm Springs.
The Cowboys got on the scoreboard in the second inning when Dean Green crushed a solo home run to right field. The blast was Green's first homer of the season.
The Beavers tied the score in the bottom of the inning. Ryan Ortiz led off the frame with a double, and after advancing to third on a groundout, he would score on a balk by Oliver with two outs.
It didn't take long for the Cowboys to regain the lead. In the third inning, three-straight singles plated OSU's second run in the form of Mark Ginther, who started the rally with the first hit of his collegiate career and scored on an RBI single off the bat of Belza.
The Cowboys were not done. After a walk to Kevin David loaded the bases, Neil Medchill struck out for the second out of the inning. But Kroll came up big, delivering a two-RBI single to make the score 4-1.
Once again, Oregon State answered, taking advantage of three hits and a pair of wild pitches to score twice in the bottom of the inning. Both Joey Wong and Adalberto Sanchez reached on singles and advanced to second on wild pitches, and both eventually scored to make the score 4-3.
Kroll continued his hot hitting to add to the Cowboys' lead in the fifth as he recorded his second two-RBI single of the contest to push the lead to 6-3. Green followed with an opposite-field single to bring home a run.
The score remained 7-3 until the bottom of the seventh. Thomas Keeling came on in relief of Oliver and promptly gave up a leadoff triple to Adalberto, and Stefen Romero followed with a single to plate the Beavers' fourth run.
Oregon State continued to chip away at the lead in the eighth. Carter Bell led off the inning with a single and later scored on fielder's choice by Wong to make the score 7-5.
In the ninth, McCurry quickly retired the first two Beaver hitters before issuing a walk to pinch-hitter Brett Casey, which brought the tying run to the plate. But McCurry struck out Koa Kahalehoe to end the game and secure the Cowboys' eighth win.
The Cowboys return to action Saturday against San Francisco. Game time is scheduled for 8 p.m. (CST).
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