Cowboys Sweep UIW

Wednesday, March 2

Stillwater, Okla.

4:00:00 PM

Oklahoma State University

4-5

Incarnate Word

3-6

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Incarnate Word	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	7	1
Oklahoma State	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	X	3	6	2

Corey Hassel

March 02, 2016 | Cowboy Baseball

Box Score

STILLWATER, Okla. — Oklahoma State completed a two-game midweek series sweep of Incarnate Word Wednesday with a 3-2 win at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.

Corey Hassel collected the game-winning RBI in the seventh inning, and Donnie Walton also drove in a pair of runs for the 22^nd-ranked Cowboys, who improved to 4-5 with the victory. Wednesday's outcome marked the first one-run game OSU has won this season after previously suffering all five of their losses in one-run outcomes.

Tyler Buffett picked up his first win of the season to improve to 1-1 as the junior right-hander worked two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out three, while Trey Cobb was perfect in the ninth to earn his first save.

"We pitched the way a tight game has to be pitched," said OSU head coach Josh Holliday. "No room for error, not a lot of breathing room, and we just continued to make pitches. And we had to use our top relievers in order to get through that game.

"I was disappointed we didn't provide any kind of cushion there, but that was the way the game played out. The guys came out of the bullpen and did a really good job of giving us enough time to score just enough."

Like it did in the series opener, OSU jumped out to an early lead as Walton picked up an RBI single in the first inning to bring home Hassel with the game's first run.

UIW (3-6) tied the score in the third on a two-out RBI infield single by Branch Kahle off OSU's Joe Lienhard, who made his first-collegiate start for the Cowboys.

The Cowboys answered in the bottom of the inning, and again it was Walton collecting an RBI, this one on a groundout that put the home team up 2-1.

That lead held until the sixth when the Cardinals brought home the tying run with another two-out single.

In the seventh, Buffett came out of the bullpen and picked up a pair of strikeouts to leave a runner stranded on second, and the bottom of the frame saw the Cowboys come up with the decisive run.

After Collin Theroux ripped a single off Kahle at third base, Hassel stepped to the plate and delivered an RBI double into the right-center field gap to put OSU up 3-2.

That run proved to be the game winner but hanging on wasn't easy.

UIW's Trey Rodriguez led off the eighth with a single, and Bryce Shepherd followed with a sacrifice bunt. OSU first baseman Dustin Williams threw the ball away on the play, allowing Rodriguez to race to third base but fortunately Hassel was able to pick up the errant throw and fire to second to retire Shepherd.

With the tying run 90 feet away and just one out, Buffett struck out Robert Lopez and then got Eddy Gonzalez to ground out to end the threat.

In the ninth, Cobb came on and retired all three batters he faced, striking out two of them, for the save.

OSU returns to action Friday at 4 p.m. when the Cowboys open a three-game series against Indiana State at Reynolds Stadium.