Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Baylor
Cowboys Open Tourney With Win
May 25, 2011 | Cowboy Baseball
May 25, 2011
Box Score
OSU-Baylor Post-Game Quotes in PDF Format 
OKLAHOMA CITY - In its first appearance at the Big 12 Baseball Championship since 2008, Oklahoma State picked up a 6-2 win over Baylor Wednesday at RedHawks Field at Bricktown.
The fourth-seeded Cowboys used a four-run sixth inning to overtake the fifth-seeded Bears and got a strong pitching performance from reliever Hunter Herrera as they improved to 35-21 on the season. OSU moves into the division winner's bracket and will face Missouri Thursday at 4 p.m.
After being held hitless through the first 5.1 innings by BU starter Logan Verrett, the Cowboys finally got in the hit column on Zach Johnson's single to left field.
Johnson's hit sparked the pivotal OSU rally. Up next, Davis Duren walked to put runners at first and second, and Luis Uribe delivered an RBI single to cut the Cowboys' deficit to 2-1.
That brought Dane Phillips to the plate, and the All-Big 12 First Team designated hitter sent a bloop to right-center field that a diving BU second baseman Steve DalPorto got a glove on but was unable to catch. The single loaded the bases with one out for Gabe Weidenaar, who delivered a game-tying base hit.
Verrett struck out Mark Ginther for the second out of the inning, but with two outs, DalPorto made two errors on the same play, booting a ground ball off the bat of Hunter Bailey and then making an errant throw, which allowed the go-ahead runs to score as OSU took a 4-2 advantage.
Herrera pitched out a jam in the top of seventh to keep the Cowboys' lead intact. A two-out walk and a single put Bears on first and third, but the OSU righty struck out Dan Evatt to end the threat.
OSU added a pair of huge insurance runs in the eighth inning when Mark Ginther blasted a two-run home run to left field. The homer was Ginther's 10th of the season and pushed the Cowboys' lead to 6-2.
The Bears made things interesting in the ninth. With one out, back-to-back singles by Cal Towey and Chris Slater and a walk to Max Muncy loaded the bases and brought the tying run to the plate.
That brought Weidenaar to the mound in relief of Herrera, and the All-Big 12 Second Team utility player got the job done as he retired the next two BU hitters to earn his third save of the season.
Baylor (29-25) scored its only runs in the contest in the third inning against OSU starter Mike Strong. Slater led off the inning with a triple, and Muncy followed with an RBI double to give the Bears a 1-0 lead. Strong would retire the next two BU batters, but the Bears got a clutch, two-out RBI single by Joey Hainsfurther to push their advantage to 2-0.
Herrera, who replaced Strong on the mound in the third, picked up the win to improve to 3-1 as he worked 5.2 scoreless innings and recorded a career-high four strikeouts.
Along with picking up the save, Weidenaar finished with two of OSU's six hits in the contest.
