Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Suffer 15-1 Loss To Clemson
May 31, 2009 | Cowboy Baseball
May 31, 2009
CLEMSON, S.C. -- Oklahoma State failed in its first attempt at an NCAA Regional championship as the third-seeded Cowboys dropped a 15-1 decision to top-seeded Clemson Sunday night at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
The loss sets up a Regional championship game between OSU (34-23) and Clemson (43-20) Monday at 6 p.m. (CST). The winner of that game will advance to a Super Regional.
Clemson scored in each of the first three innings, erupting for 11 runs during that stretch to put the game away early.
The Tigers took an early lead with four runs in the top of the first inning as CU batted around against OSU starter Tyler Blandford.
Chris Epps led off the game with a single, and after stealing second, he scored the game's first run on an RBI single by Mike Freeman. After a walk and a fly out, Wilson Boyd brought home a pair of runs with a double to make the score 3-0, and the Tigers' fourth hit of the inning, a single by Brad Miller, gave the top seed a four-run advantage.
The Tigers increased their lead in the second, getting a solo home run from Freeman for their fifth run. Following a walk to Jeff Schaus, Blandford's day was done after just 1.2 innings.
Blandford, a junior right hander, recorded just five outs and allowed five runs on five hits to fall to 7-4 on the season. He walked three and struck out two.
CU continued to add to its lead in the third, racking up six runs on five hits against three different OSU pitchers. Five Tigers collected RBIs in the inning, the big blow coming on a two-run home run by Ben Paulsen.
With plenty of offensive support, Clemson starter Chris Dwyer cruised on the mound. The freshman southpaw shut down the Cowboys over the first three innings before Tyrone Hambly finally got OSU on the scoreboard with a solo home run in the fourth. The blast was Hambly's 10th homer of the season.
Hambly's homer was about all the Cowboys could muster against Dwyer, who left with two outs and the bases loaded in the ninth, just one out shy of his second complete game. He improved to 5-5 by allowing only one run on six hits and also racked up a career-high 13 strikeouts.
Hambly and Tom Belza had two hits apiece for the Cowboys.
OSU Game Notes
- With a 2-for-4 effort at the plate, Tom Belza has now hit safely in 11 consecutive games. He is hitting .600 (6-for-10) with four homers and seven RBIs in the Regional.
- Sunday's loss snapped the Cowboys' four-game winning streak.
- OSU is now 11-9 in NCAA Tournament play under head coach Frank Anderson.
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