Cowboys Fall In Regional Opener

Friday, June 2

Fayetteville, Ark.

2:00 PM

Oklahoma State University

30-26

Missouri State

41-17

Oklahoma St.

Missouri St.

Garrett Benge

June 02, 2017 | Cowboy Baseball

Box Score

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning snapped Oklahoma State's winning streak Friday as Missouri State claimed a 6-5 win over the Cowboys in the opening round of the NCAA Fayetteville Regional at Baum Stadium.

Jeremy Eierman's two-run shot lifted the 12^th-ranked Bears to the win as they improved to 41-17, while OSU had its six-game winning streak snapped to fall to 30-26. The Cowboys will now take on the Arkansas/Oral Roberts winner Saturday at 2 p.m. needing a win to keep their season alive.

Garret Benge had a huge day at the plate against MSU as he went 4-for-5 with a pair of RBIs and became the fourth OSU player to hit for the cycle in the Big 12 Conference era (since 1997). Benge joined the list along with Cowboys Josh Fields (2003), Zach Johnson (2011) and J.R. Davis (2016).

Trey Cobb suffered the loss on the mound to fall to 1-1 despite allowing just two hits and striking out six in 2 2/3 innings of relief. OSU's career leader in appearances, the senior right-hander was one of three Cowboy pitchers on the day.

Missouri State jumped out to an early lead against the Cowboys and starter Blake Battenfield. After the first two Bears walked, Jake Burger delivered an RBI single to put MSU up 1-0 before Battenfield retired three straight to escape further damage.

The Bears extended their lead in the third as back-to-back RBI hits by Drew Millas and Jack Duffy made it 3-0.

OSU got on the scoreboard in the fourth when Benge led off the inning with an opposite-field home run to left. The blast was Benge's 10^th round tripper of the season as the Pokes cut their deficit to 3-1.

The Cowboys cut into the MSU lead again in their next at bat. Andrew Rosa led off the fifth with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jacob Chappell. Up next, Ryan Cash ripped an RBI single up the middle to make the score 3-2 before an inning-ending double play squashed the chances of OSU adding more.

After relieving Battenfield and keeping the Bears off the scoreboard in his first 1 1/3 innings of work, Carson Teel surrendered a leadoff homer to Eierman in the bottom of the fifth, a shot that marked the MSU shortstop's 20^th home run of the season.

Trailing 4-2, OSU cut into the lead once again in the sixth. With one out, Colin Simpson blooped a single to center field, and Ryan Sluder followed with a double. Up next, Jon Littell laced a single to left field to score Simpson, but Sluder was thrown out on a close play at the plate as the Bears maintained a one-run lead. Rosa then struck out to end the inning and strand a pair of Cowboys on the bases.

Entering the ninth, OSU still faced a 4-3 deficit against MSU closer Bryan Young, who struck out the first two hitters in the inning. But Garrett McCain then stepped to the plate and recorded a single before Benge provided some heroics with a triple into the right-field corner to tie the game and give the junior the cycle.

The game would not stay tied long as Jordan Knutson came out of the Bears' bullpen and promptly uncorked a wild pitch to bring home Benge with the go-ahead run.

In the bottom of the frame, Justin Paulsen led off with a single against Cobb, who then retired the next two Bears. That brought up Eierman, who on a 2-1 pitch lifted a fly ball to right field that carried over the wall to bring home the game-winning runs.

OSU outhit the Bears in the contest by a 13-9 margin but left eight runners on base. Littell also had a big day at the plate for the Pokes as he went 3-for-4 with an RBI.