Cowboys Victorious In Big 12 Opener

Thursday, March 24

Manhattan, Kan.

6:05:00 PM

Oklahoma State University

15-7, 0

Kansas State

11-11, 0

Oklahoma State

Kansas State

Thomas Hatch

March 24, 2016 | Cowboy Baseball

Box Score

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Timely hits and strong pitching propelled Oklahoma State to a 2-1 win over Kansas State in its Big 12 Conference opener Thursday night at Tointon Family Stadium.

With the win, the 19^th-ranked Cowboys improved to 15-7, while K-State fell to 11-11.

Thomas Hatch earned the win on the mound with six shutout innings in which he allowed just three hits while tying a career high with eight strikeouts. The performance saw the sophomore lower his season ERA to 1.70 while improving to 2-0.

Remey Reed followed Hatch, working two innings and allowing the Wildcats' lone run, before Tyler Buffett kept the home team off the scoreboard in the ninth to pick up his second save.

Neither team could manage much offense over the first three innings as Hatch and K-State starter Levi MaVorhis locked into a pitcher's duel.

In the fourth, Donnie Walton collected the Cowboys' first hit of the night with a single before advancing to second on a groundout. That brought Garrett Benge to the plate, and the OSU third baseman delivered with a two-out RBI single to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

OSU doubled its lead in the fifth with another clutch two-out effort. Jon Littell got things started with a single, and two batters later, J.D. Davis singled to put Cowboys on first and second with two outs. This time it would be Corey Hassel coming through with the RBI single as the Pokes took a 2-0 advantage.

The Cowboys held that lead until the bottom of the eighth when with two outs, KSU's Josh Rolette hit his first-career home run.

The Wildcats would get the tying run on in the ninth following a pinch-hit single by Cade Bunnell, but Buffett struck out Cory Wright to end the game and seal the win for OSU.

The two teams return to action Friday at 6:35 p.m.