Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Rally In Ninth For Win
March 05, 2010 | Cowboy Baseball
March 5, 2010
MINNEAPOLIS - Nico Rosthenhausler's two-out, two-RBI single in the top of the ninth inning lifted Oklahoma State to a 7-5 win over Northwestern Friday in the opening round of the Dairy Queen Classic at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.
Mark Ginther collected a career-high four RBIs, and Tom Belza was 4-for-4 for the Cowboys, who improved to 3-1 on the season. After blowing a save opportunity in the eighth, Matt Peck picked up his second win of the season by pitching a scoreless ninth.
After Northwestern (2-6) rallied for five runs in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game at 5-5, the Cowboys responded in their final at bat.
With two outs, Kevin David got things started with a single to left field, and Belza followed with a base hit up the middle. Ginther walked to load the bases, and Rosthenhausler singled through the left side on an 0-2 pitch to bring home what proved to be the winning runs.
OSU took an early 1-0 lead in the game when with two outs in the top of the first, Belza walked and Ginther followed with a triple off the wall in right field for his first RBI of the game.
The Cowboys added to their one-run lead in the fifth. After David walked, Belza tripled to center field as the ball got past a diving NU center fielder Arby Fields to make the score 2-0.
Up next, Ginther blasted a two-run home run into the left-center field stands, his first round tripper of the season, to put OSU up by a 4-0 margin.
Ginther continued his RBI production in the seventh, this time bringing home Belza with a sacrifice fly. Belza had singled and advanced to third on a two-base error by NU right fielder Geoff Rowan.
OSU starter Tyler Lyons cruised through the first seven innings, allowing just three hits, but the senior southpaw lost the shutout in the eighth. Lyons struck out the first hitter in the inning, but a walk, a fly out and another walk ended his day and brought Don Lisi out of the Cowboy bullpen.
Lisi couldn't get the Cowboys out of the inning as he issued a walk to load the bases, which was followed by Chris Lashment sending a ground-rule double over the wall in left to make the score 5-2.
With runners on second and third and the tying run at the plate, Chance Deason came on and issued the fourth walk of the inning by an OSU pitcher to once again load the bases.
Peck became the fourth Cowboy pitcher of the inning, but the senior right hander would not be able to hold the lead as he promptly gave up a two-RBI single to Zach Morton to make the score 5-4. Quentin Williams then followed with a game-tying single before Peck struck out Havey to finally stop the bleeding.
OSU returns to action Saturday against tourney-host Minnesota at 6:35 p.m.
