Cowboys' Streak Snapped In Big 12 Opener

Friday, March 24

Forth Worth, TX

6:30 PM

Oklahoma State University

15-7, 0

TCU

15-5, 0

Oklahoma State

TCU

Garrett McCain

Photo by: Michael Clements

March 24, 2017 | Cowboy Baseball

Box Score

FORT WORTH, Texas – Oklahoma State had its eight-game winning streak snapped by No. 3 TCU Friday night as the 16^th-ranked Cowboys dropped a 7-5 contest in their Big 12 Conference opener at Lupton Stadium.

TCU (15-5, 3-1) plated four runs in the eighth inning to knock off the Cowboys as OSU fell to 15-7 on the season.

Carson Teel took the loss in relief of starter Tyler Buffett to fall to 2-2, while offensively, the two teams matched each other with nine hits apiece. Garrett McCain led the Pokes with a 3-for-4 night at the plate.

OSU took the game's first lead in their opening at bat. Ryan Sluder led off the game with a single, and after a perfectly executed hit-and-run resulted in a Ryan Cash single, the Cowboys had runners on the corners with no outs. Up next, Garrett Benge brought home the Cowboys' first run with an RBI groundout, marking the junior third baseman's seventh consecutive game of driving in at least one run.

The Cowboys doubled their lead in the fourth. Following a leadoff walk to Benge, McCain singled to again put runners on the corners with no outs. McCain promptly stole second, and a throwing error by TCU catcher Evan Skoug on the play allowed Benge to score and push OSU's lead to 2-0.

OSU held that lead until the fifth. After back-to-back singles to open the inning, the second on a pop up to center field that the Cowboys lost in the lights, Buffett got a force out at second on a groundball for the first out. But Evan Skoug then stepped to the plate and delivered a three-run home run over the wall in right-center field to put TCU up, 3-2.

The Cowboys were not down long, however, as a familiar scenario played out. This time, Benge was hit by a pitch to open the sixth, and he advanced to second on wild pitch. A single by McCain then put runners on the corners with no outs, and Colin Simpson delivered an RBI single through the right side to tie the score at 3-3.

But OSU could not continue the rally as McCain was thrown out at third base on the hit by Simpson, who would be stranded on second to end the inning.

Things remained knotted at 3-3 until the eighth when a clutch two-out, two-RBI single to center field by Jon Littell saw OSU regain the lead.

This time, TCU would answer. Luken Baker led off the bottom of the eighth with a solo home run, and two batters later, a solo shot by Nolan Brown tied the score at 5-5.

It looked like Teel would get out of the inning without further damage after striking out Ryan Merrill for what should have been the third out. But a passed ball by Simpson allowed Merrill to reach base safely. Following a stolen base and an intentional walk to pinch hitter Michael Landestoy, Austen Wade brought home the go-ahead runs with a two-RBI double to put TCU up by a 7-5 count.

Down to their last three outs, the Cowboys brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the form of Benge in the ninth, but with runners on first and second, he grounded to shortstop for a force out at second to end the game.

The two teams return to action Saturday at 7 p.m. in a game televised on ESPN2.