Cowboys Fall To Wildcats In CWS Action

Friday, June 24

2:00 PM

Oklahoma State University

43-21

Arizona

47-22

Arizona

Oklahoma State

Remey Reed

June 24, 2016 | Cowboy Baseball

Box Score

Box Score
Postgame Quotes
Postgame Notes
Photo Gallery

OMAHA — Oklahoma State's baseball team was dealt its first NCAA Tournament loss of the season on Friday afternoon, suffering a 9-3 setback to Arizona in Game 11 of the College World Series in front of 16,549 fans inside TD Ameritrade Park.

The loss, which snapped the Cowboys' seven-game winning streak, dropped OSU to 43-21 on the year, while the Wildcats improved to 47-22.

Arizona got started quickly, putting runners on first and second with nobody out in the first with a leadoff walk and a single. After a failed sacrifice bunt attempt by the Wildcats, OSU starter Jensen Elliott struck out cleanup hitter Bobby Dalbec. However, JJ Matijevic slashed a two-out single through the left side to deliver the game's first run and give the Cowboys their first deficit in eight NCAA Tournament games this season. The freshman righthander would record his second strikeout of the frame, fanning Alfonso Rivas, to end the inning.

Arizona tacked on two more runs in the second, getting back-to-back doubles from Cesar Salazar and Louis Boyd. Zach Gibbons lined a single to center to chase home Boyd for the Wildcats' third run of the day.

Seeing his first action since a start at Clemson on June 5, Elliott worked two innings and took the loss for OSU, falling to 9-3 on the year.

Cowboy reliever Remey Reed issued back-to-back walks to start the fourth before a sacrifice fly from Gibbons chased home Salazar to extend the lead to 4-0. Reed worked four innings, striking out a career-high seven, including five in a row during one stretch, while allowing one run on four hits.

Wildcat starter Nathan Bannister worked 2.2 innings, striking out five and walking one, before giving way to Kevin Ginkel, who earned the win to move to 5-1 on the season.

The Cowboys struck for a pair of runs in the fourth off the Wildcat reliever. After third baseman Garrett Benge drew a two-out walk, designated hitter Conor Costello sliced a triple down the rightfield line to get OSU on the board. Costello then came home on a wild pitch to cut the deficit in half at 4-2.

A two-out rally from the Wildcats in the sixth came up empty when Gibbons singled up the middle, but centerfielder Ryan Sluder threw out Salazar at the plate to keep OSU within two.

The Wildcats extended their lead after plating a pair of unearned runs in the top of the eighth. Jared Oliva drew a one-out walk and advanced to third on a single by Salazar before Boyd was hit by a pitch from Cowboy reliever Garrett Williams to load the bases. Williams struck out the next Arizona hitter before a throwing error on a ground ball from Gibbons scored the Wildcats' fifth run of the day. Ryan Aguilar then drove home Salazar with a single to left to push the lead back to 6-2.

Arizona added three more runs, two of which were unearned, in the ninth.

The Cowboys added their third run of the day in the bottom half of the frame. After a double from Benge, Costello walked before Andrew Rosa brought Benge home with a double of his own down the leftfield line.

Cameron Ming worked five innings of relief for the Wildcats, retiring the first 12 Cowboys he faced en route to his fourth save of the season.

Noteworthy
· OSU is making its 20th CWS appearance and first since 1999. The Cowboys own a 40-37 mark at the event.
· Arizona's run in the first inning gave the Cowboys their first deficit in eight NCAA games this season.
· The run in the first by the Wildcats also halted the 19.2 scoreless innings streak by Cowboy pitchers.
· The loss snapped the Cowboys' seven-game winning streak, which was tied for OSU's longest string of the season.
· Designated hitter Conor Costello's triple in the fourth inning was the first of his career.
· Pitcher Remey Reed struck out a career-high seven in four innings of work out of the bullpen.