Friday College Baseball Roundup

Cowboys' Winning Streak Continues

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Behind Jon Perrin's second-career shutout, No. 7 Oklahoma State extended its winning streak with an 8-0 victory over Kansas State Friday night at Tointon Stadium.

The Cowboys have now won seven in a row, tying their longest streak of the season, as they improved to 36-13 overall and remained tied atop the Big 12 Conference standings with TCU at 14-5.

Perrin was magnificent in the return to his home state. The junior right-hander, a native of Olathe, Kan., racked up a career-high 10 strikeouts and allowed just four hits, all singles, to improve to 6-3 on the season. In tossing his second-career complete game, he faced only five batters over the minimum and walked just one in the 129-pitch effort.

OSU provided Perrin plenty of offensive support, scoring in each of the first three innings and five overall. The Cowboys collected 11 hits in the contest, including two apiece by Tanner Krietemeier, Tim Arakawa and Craig McConaughy, and six different players recorded RBIs.

"It always starts on the mound and when your starting pitcher goes out and gives you an outstanding start like that, it allows the ballclub to settle in and go to work," said OSU head coach Josh Holliday. "Jon (Perrin) obviously threw an outstanding game, and our defense was tremendous. And offensively any time you can score first, it's a good way to start because you establish a little bit of tempo. Then when you continue to score, that's what's most pleasing because it puts the other team on their heels and doesn't allow them to dig back in."

The Cowboys took control of the scoreboard early. Saulyer Saxon led off the game with a single, and following a Donnie Walton sacrifice bunt, Krietemeier tripled into to the right-center field gap to put OSU ahead 1-0. Up next, Gage Green picked up an RBI on a grounder to second base that was mishandled to push the lead to two.

In the second, a two-out RBI double by Bryan Case gave OSU a 3-0 lead, and RBI singles by Zach Fish and Conor Costello in the third increased the advantage to five.

With plenty of run support, Perrin dominated the Wildcats (24-26, 4-15). He retired seven in a row to start the game and had multiple strikeouts in three innings. K-State did not advance a runner to third base in the contest and had only three runners reach second base.

Perrin's 10 strikeouts bested his previous career high of nine, which came on April 18 in a shutout of Kansas in Stillwater in a game that also marked his last win prior to Friday against the Wildcats.

"I'm most proud of (Perrin) keeping his composure and not getting too fired up – he just pitched a great game," Holliday said. "He made pitches and didn't let anything get in the way of execution. Compliment to him for doing a great job attacking and shutting out a very good offensive team."

OSU's final three runs came in the fifth on a two-run home run by Arakawa, his fourth of the season, and in the seventh when Gage Green doubled, stole third and scored on a wild pitch.

The two teams return to action Saturday at 2 p.m.

Sooners Fall in Weekend Opener at No. 10 TCU, 10-2

FORT WORTH, Texas – The University of Oklahoma baseball team claimed an early lead in the first, but No. 10 TCU stormed back for a 10-2 victory on Friday night. The loss dropped the Sooners to 26-24 overall and 6-13 in the Big 12, while the Horned Frogs ran their win streak to 13, pushing their record to 35-13 and 14-5.

Sophomore center fielder Craig Aikin led off the game with a single to center and freshman shortstop Sheldon Neuse singled with one out. Junior third baseman Mac James drove in the first run of the night on a base hit.

With one out and runners on the corners, freshman first baseman Austin O'Brien (Owasso, Okla.) lifted a double to the gap in right-center to score Neuse. James attempted to score from first, but slid into the tag at home plate for out number two.

TCU put the first two runners on in the bottom of the third with a walk and a single. After a pop-up, left fielder Boomer White hit a routine groundball to second that could've been two outs, but an error allowed the inning to continue. A bases loaded-hit by pitch brought in one run and a two-run single by second baseman Garrett Crain put the Horned Frogs on top. TCU added a run as first baseman Kevin Cron scored, while White was in a rundown on a double steal attempt.

Right fielder Dylan Fitzgerald added to the TCU lead with a lead-off home run to right field in the fourth inning. Another run in the fourth chased OU sophomore left-hander Jacob Evans.

The Sooners attempted a two-out rally in the top of the fourth. Sophomore designated hitter Kolbey Carpenter, senior second baseman Hector Lorenzana and Aikin all singled, but were left stranded.

Evans (3-4) lasted 3.2 innings. He gave up six runs, four earned, on six hits and two walks, while striking out four. Left-hander Brandon Finnegan (8-2) went four innings on a pitch-count to earn the win. He surrendered two run on seven hits and two walks to go with four strikeouts.

Game two of the series will get underway at 3:30 Saturday afternoon. Freshman right-hander Jake Elliott will return to the mound for his first start since April 5.

ORU Blanked By Wildcats In 7-0 Loss At Home

TULSA, Okla. – Offensive struggles proved to be the difference on Friday evening as Oral Roberts University baseball was shutout by Abilene Christian, 7-0, at J.L. Johnson Stadium. ORU fell to 27-23 overall and 12-13 in Southland Conference play, while the Wildcats of ACU improved to 17-28 and 6-13 in the league.

The Golden Eagles were only able to rattle off three hits in the contest, with Tyler Boss, Matt Brandy and Brandon Healy reaching on singles.

Gavin Glanz (3-5) got the start and took the loss in 5.1 innings of work, allowing five runs on eight hits. Hayden Holley pitched well in relief, allowing just two hits in 3.1 innings.

ACU was led that at the plate by Seth Spivey with two hits, including a home run, while driving in two runs and scoring twice. Brandon Grudzielanek also picked up a pair of hits and drove in two. Brady Rodriguez (2-4) went the distance as the starting pitcher for the Wildcats.

After a first pitch single by Colton Hall started the top of the third with a single, Spivey got ahold of the second pitch of the inning and sent it out of the ball park in right to put the Wildcats up 2-0.

Grudzielanek extended the lead to 3-0 with a single to center to drive in Jordan Forrester.

Following on RBI double off the bat of Hall in to right center to make it 4-0 in the fifth inning, the Wildcats drew three bases loaded walks that pushed across Gunnar Buhner, Hall and Spivey to bring the game to 7-0.

Boss and Brandy earned back-to-back singles to start the eighth and became the only two Golden Eagles to reach scoring position, but were stranded as the eighth came to an end.

ORU looks to even the series on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. against the Wildcats at J.L. Johnson Stadium.