Cowboys Top Sooners, Push Win Streak To Four

Oklahoma State pushed its winning streak to four Wednesday night as the 25th-ranked Cowboys bested Bedlam-rival Oklahoma, 4-3, in a non-conference affair at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

Andrew Rosa came off the OSU bench and collected a pair of RBIs, and Tyler Buffett – one of eight pitchers used by the Cowboys – earned his sixth save of the season as the Pokes improved to 23-13 on the season.

OU (18-19-1) took the game’s initial lead in the bottom of the first inning, getting back-to-back doubles from Ben Hollas and Sheldon Neuse to go up, 1-0.

The Sooners maintained the one-run advantage until the sixth when OSU mounted a rally to take the lead.

Donnie Walton got things started with a one-out single, and Garrett Benge followed with a double, one of his three hits in the game. After a strikeout, Rosa was inserted as a pinch hitter, and he sent a high chopper over the pitcher’s mound for an RBI single to tie the score at 1-1.

The game wouldn’t be tied long as OSU’s next batter, Ryan Sluder, sent a hard ground ball off the glove of OU third baseman Cade Harris, with the error bringing home the go-ahead run.

Leading 2-1, OSU saw the Sooners put runners on first and second with one out in the seventh after Garrett Williams issued a pair of walks. But Remey Reed came out of the bullpen and got a pop out and a strikeout to end the threat.

OSU would plate two more runs in the eighth. Once again it was Walton getting things started with a single, and after he stole second, Benge delivered a base hit to put Cowboys on the corners. Up next, Colin Simpson collected an RBI single before a fourth-straight single, this one by Rosa, brought home another run to make it 4-1.

The Sooners made things interesting in their final at bat against Buffett.

Austin O’Brien led off the inning with a walk, and a single by Hunter Haley coupled with a throwing error put OU runners on the corners with no outs. An RBI groundout by Alex Wise cut the OSU lead in half before an infield single off the bat of Steele Walker made the score 4-3.

But Buffett would pitch his way out of trouble to preserve the win, striking out pinch hitter Cody Thomas before getting Harris to line out to end the game.

Walton, Benge, Simpson and Rosa each finished with multi-hit efforts for the Cowboys, who recorded 12 hits in the contest.

Joe Lienhard earned his first-career win on the mound after working a scoreless fifth inning. The freshman was part of a Cowboy bullpen that used seven pitchers in relief of starter Michael Mertz, with the relief corps allowing only one hit from the third through the eighth innings.

The Cowboys return to action Friday when they open a three-game series against No. 4 TCU at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium. First pitch for the opener is set for 6 p.m.