OSU Pours On 24 Runs In Bedlam Romp

It was a memorable and record-setting night Tuesday at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium as No. 9 Oklahoma State cruised to a 24-2 win over Bedlam-rival Oklahoma in a non-conference showdown in front of 3,111 fans.

The 24 runs for the Cowboys was their most ever in a game against OU, besting the 23 the 1987 and 1952 teams scored against the Sooners, and the margin of victory was the largest in Bedlam history.

OSU's run total, which was aided by an eight-run first inning, was also its highest in a game since 2010 when the Cowboys scored 26 times against Alabama A&M.

Tuesday's triumph marked OSU's fourth-straight win as head coach Josh Holliday's ballclub improved to 23-9 on the season, while OU saw its five-game winning streak snapped and fell to 22-13.

“We played a good game tonight — a lot of things went our way, our kids did a good job and that score is by no means a reflection of the quality of ballclub we played,” Holliday said. “We pitched well, we swung the bat well, we played good defense, and sometime the score gets a little out of hand. But a lot of respect for OU; I know the type of athletes and ballplayers they have and sometimes the game is crazy.”

The craziness escalated early.

OU opened the game with back-to-back singles, but the Sooners were thrown out at third base on a sacrifice bunt attempt before Conor Costello struck out the next two batters to end the threat.

The bottom of the inning saw the rout begin as the Cowboys sent 11 batters to the plate and rallied for eight runs on six hits.

Tim Arakawa led off the frame with a single, and following the first of two OU errors in the inning, Costello ripped a double into the right-center field gap to give the Cowboys a 2-0 lead. Two batters later, an RBI single by Corey Hassel brought home OSU's third run.

The Cowboys would do the rest of their damage with a two-out rally. David Petrino's two-RBI triple pushed the lead to 5-0 and drove OU starter Jeffrey Curran from the mound. After Petrino scored on an error, Arakawa stepped to the plate and blasted his first home run of the season, a two-run job to right-center to make it 8-0.

“It was just going our way that (first) inning,” Green said. “We got some good hits, some bunts and when you've got all those things going, everyone sees it and just builds off that momentum. It's good when it's going like that.”

OU tallied its lone runs in the second, cutting its deficit to 8-2 on a two-run homer by Joshua Ake.

Holliday's club failed to score in the second but then erupted for at least three runs in each of the next four innings.

OSU finished the contest with a season-high 20 hits, and six different Cowboys collected multiple RBIs. Arakawa and Costello each tied career highs with four RBIs, while Petrino had a career-best four hits.

Three other Cowboys — Green, Donnie Walton and Jon Littell — drove in three runs apiece, with Littell's three RBIs also tying a career high.

“We brought a lot of energy to the plate and found some barrels, and everybody went up there and was having some quality ABs,” Arakawa said. “Everybody that we ran out there had that grittiness in their at-bats and just went up to the plate with the determination to have a good AB.

“It's awesome. OU is a good ballclulb, we respect them a lot, and we're looking forward to seeing them later on in the year. But for tonight, it was fun.”

Along with his 3-for-5, four-RBI night at the plate, Costello picked up the win on the mound as he worked four innings and struck out three to improve to 2-0 on the season.

OSU will be back in action Friday when the Cowboys open a Big 12 Conference series at Kansas. The Pokes are 7-2 in league play and sit atop the Big 12 standings.