Cowboy Baseball Wins In Extra Innings

Tuesday, April 24

Dallas, TX

6:30 PM

Oklahoma State University

24-14-1

Dallas Baptist

25-13

Oklahoma State

DBU

Ryan Cash

April 24, 2018 | Cowboy Baseball

Box Score

Box Score (PDF)

DALLAS – Oklahoma State's winning streak reached four Tuesday night as the 17^th-ranked Cowboys knocked off Dallas Baptist, 4-2, in an 11-inning contest at Horner Ballpark.

With the win, OSU improved to 24-14-1 and avenged a March loss to the Patriots (25-13). The Cowboys are now 3-0 in extra-inning games this season.

Ryan Cash and Jake Taylor had RBI hits in the decisive 11^th inning to lift the Cowboys to victory, while Carson McCusker also drove in a run in the contest.

Reza Aleaziz picked up the win to improve to 3-1 as he worked 2 1/3 scoreless innings before C.J. Varela needed just one pitch to earn his second save of the season.

DBU took the game's initial lead in the third, getting a two-out RBI single by starting pitcher Kody Funderburk to go up 1-0.

But the Cowboys were not down long. After drawing a leadoff walk in the fourth, Jon Littell stole second and advanced to third on a fly out before coming home to score the tying run on a wild pitch.

OSU then rallied to take the lead. After a walk to Trevor Boone and a single by Michael Neustifter put Cowboys on the corners, McCusker drilled a shot to center field. DBU center field Jameson Hannah leapt and got a glove on the ball to rob a home run, but he could not make the catch as the ball fell to the turf for an RBI double and a 2-1 lead for the visitors.

McCusker was also a standout defensively in right field, making a diving catch to rob DBU of a hit in the fourth before showing off his arm in the fifth as he fired a strike to the plate to cut down the tying run and end the inning with OSU's 2-1 lead still intact.

DBU tied the score in the sixth. After giving up a leadoff double in the sixth, Ben Leeper struck out the next two Patriots before an RBI single by Hannah off the glove of OSU first baseman Christian Funk knotted the game at 2-2.

The score remained even as both teams failed to score over the next four frames. But in the 11^th, Littell led off with a single and advanced to second on an error by Hannah.

Up next, Cash executed a slash play and ripped a double just inside the right-field line to put the Pokes up 3-2. Four batters later, Taylor delivered a two-out RBI single to the right-center field gap to extend the OSU lead to two.

DBU made things interesting in its final at bat. After a leadoff walk and a strikeout, a double by pinch hitter Garrett Wolforth put two runners in scoring position with one out.

That brought Varela out of the bullpen, and on the first pitch from the righty, Hannah sent a grounder to first where Neustifter stepped on the base and then fired home to get Evan Sandmann and complete the game-ending double play.

OSU returns to Big 12 Conference action Friday when the first-place Cowboys host Oklahoma in the opening game of the The Bedlam Series at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.