OSU Baseball Tops Missouri State

Randy McCurry drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the 10th inning to give No. 26 Oklahoma State a 5-4 win over Missouri State Tuesday at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.

Tuesday's victory marked the sixth time this season the Cowboys have trailed in a game before coming back to win as they improved to 10-2, which includes an 8-1 mark on their home field. The triumph also snapped OSU's five-game losing streak against Missouri State (7-3) which dated back to 2010.

"This team never lets the score dictate their spirit or their effort," said OSU head coach Josh Holliday. "They've learned if they play all nine innings, sometimes 10 or 14, with a high level of concentration, that you're never out of a game. The value of the New Mexico trip to us is that once you've done it once, you know you can always do it, and our guys have been able to reach back on that and know we're never out of a game."

OSU trailed 4-2 going into the bottom of the eighth inning, but loaded the bases with no outs following two walks and a single. The Cowboys then tied the score on consecutive sacrifice flies by pinch hitter Aaron Cornell and center fielder Jarrett Higgins.

With the game still tied 4-4 after nine, the Bears mounted a rally in the 10th. After Luke Voit reached on a fielder's choice and Koby Peebles singled, MSU had runners on first and second with one out.

But the Cowboys called on McCurry, who started the game at shortstop, and the right-hander induced a pair of groundball outs to get out of the inning.

In the bottom of the 10th, Gage Green led off with a walk. After Donnie Walton was hit by a pitch, Higgins delivered a bunt single to load the bases with no outs.

That brought Erik Shannahan out of the Bears' bullpen. The righty struck out Craig McConaughy for the first out of the inning but then fell behind in the count 3-0 to McCurry. After a pair of strikes brought a full count, Shannahan's next pitch was wide of the strike zone to bring home the winning run.

"We just kind of keep grinding it out – have good energy and good things will happen to you," said McCurry, who was 2-for-4 at the plate and improved to 2-1 on the mound. "We never quit, never stop trying, and that's the result of it right there."

OSU returns to action Friday at 6:30 p.m. when the Cowboys open a three-game series against Loyola Marymount at Reynolds Stadium. All three games in the series are free admission.