Oklahoma State University Athletics
Saturday, April 7
Manhattan, KS
2:00 PM
Oklahoma State University
6
at
3
Kansas State
Trevor Boone
Cowboy Baseball Wins Series Opener
April 07, 2018 | Cowboy Baseball
Box Score (PDF)
Holliday postgame
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Oklahoma State won its fourth consecutive conference game Saturday as the Cowboys opened their series against Kansas State with a 6-3 victory at Tointon Family Stadium.
With the win, OSU improved to 16-11-1 overall and 5-2 in Big 12 play, while the Wildcats tell to 15-15 and 2-5 in the league.
Joe Lienhard earned the win on the mound to improve to 3-1 on the season, with two of those wins coming in Big 12 play, while Reza Aleaziz recorded the final three outs in the ninth to collect his first-career save.
Offensively, Colin Simpson and Trevor Boone led the Pokes with 3-for-4 efforts at the plate, with Boone and Carson McCusker both hitting home runs.
K-State stranded 20 runners on base in the game and left the bases full three times.
For the first time this season, the Cowboys recorded back-to-back home runs to take a lead they would never surrender in the third. Boone led off the inning with a shot over the left field wall, and McCusker followed with his fourth round tripper of the season, a blast that carried to left field in nearly the same spot as Boone's homer.
OSU was not done. After Andrew Rosa walked and advanced to second on a groundout, Simpson brought him home with a single to extend the lead to 3-0.
The three-run lead held until the fourth when K-State got a two-out RBI single from Brett Owen to cut the Cowboys' lead to 3-1. The Wildcats threatened to do more damage as they loaded the bases, but Lienhard struck out Cameron Thompson to end the inning.
OSU put another crooked number on the scoreboard in the fifth. Simpson and Jon Littell led off the frame with singles and up next, Neustifter delivered an RBI double down the left field line to make the score 4-1. The next two Cowboys, Christian Funk and Daniel DeSimone, brought in runs with sacrifice flies as the visitors extended their lead to 6-1.
The Cowboys took the five-run advantage into the ninth, but K-State would make things interesting in its final at bat.
After keeping the Wildcats off the scoreboard over three innings in relief of Lienhard, southpaw Brady Basso got into trouble in the ninth. TK McWhertor led off the inning by reaching on an error, and Owen followed with a single. Up next Will Brennan brought home a run with a double to make it 6-2.
That brought Aleaziz out of the bullpen and after a walk loaded the bases with no outs, Thompson cut the KSU deficit to 6-3 with a sacrifice fly. Aleaziz would then strike out Drew Mount before Trent McMaster flied out to end the game.
Game two of the series is scheduled for Sunday at 2 p.m.
Players Mentioned
LHP
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OF
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1B
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RHP
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OF
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INF
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C
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