Cowboy Baseball Clinches Big 12 Series Win On Opening Weekend

Saturday, March 23

Stillwater, OK

2:05 PM

Oklahoma State University

14-7, 0

Kansas State

11-12, 0

Kansas State

Oklahoma State

Cowboy Baseball Clinches Big 12 Series Win On Opening Weekend

March 23, 2019 | Cowboy Baseball

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STILLWATER – Oklahoma State clinched a series win over Kansas State with a 5-4 victory Saturday afternoon at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.

Jake Taylor's sacrifice fly in the eighth inning plated the winning run as the Cowboys moved to 14-7 on the season and 2-0 in conference play.

A trio of Cowboys had two hits in Saturday's contest as Carson McCusker, Colin Simpson and Andrew Navigato reached that mark. McCusker was 2-for-4 and tied an OSU single-game record with two triples, becoming the first OSU player with two triples in a game since Dane Phillips in 2011.

Ben Leeper earned his first win of the season as he kept the Wildcats (11-12, 0-2) off the scoreboard over the final 1 2/3 innings, picking up a pair of strikeouts and improving to 1-0.

Simpson got the Cowboys on the scoreboard in the first when he doubled to right field to bring home Hueston Morrill and Navigato, who both singled to open the inning.

OSU starter Joe Lienhard walked in a run to cut OSU's lead to 2-1 in the second inning before recording an inning-ending strikeout to get the Pokes out of a bases-loaded jam. Lienhard went five innings, surrendering three runs on six hits while striking out five Wildcats.

The Cowboys got the run back in the third when Navigato launched his fourth home run of the season to lead off the frame and extend the OSU lead to 3-1.

A pair of sacrifice flies by the Wildcats in the fourth and fifth innings tied the game.

Logan Gragg came on in relief of Lienhard to start the sixth for OSU. The Cowboy right-hander gave up a single and walked a batter to begin the inning, eventually allowing a run to score following a sacrifice bunt and a groundout as the Wildcats took a lead for the first time at 4-3.

K-State would not hold the lead long, however. McCusker led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a slicing triple down the right field line before scoring on a deep sac fly in foul territory down the left field line from Christian Funk.

Leeper entered the game in the eighth for the Cowboys with one out and runners on the corners but got out of the jam as he was able to get an infield pop-up on a failed bunt attempt before striking out Will Brennan to end the scoring threat.

McCusker continued his big day at the plate by leading off the eighth inning with his second triple of the contest on a drive to deep center field.

Noah Sifrit pinch ran for McCusker and slid in just ahead of the tag with the decisive run on Taylor's fly ball to shallow center field; the play at the plate was reviewed, but the call on the field stood and the Cowboys took a 5-4 lead.

Leeper shut down the Wildcats again in the ninth, ending the game with a strikeout to strand a runner on first. The junior has now pitched 12 1/3 innings this season without allowing a run.

The two teams will return to action Sunday as the Cowboys look to complete their first weekend series sweep of the season. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.