OSU Baseball, Softball Fall In Conference Openers

Cowboys Drop Series Opener To TCU

STILLWATER, Okla. – A three-run first inning doomed Oklahoma State Friday night as TCU handed the 24th-ranked Cowboys a 3-1 loss at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.

The Cowboys brought the winning run to the plate twice in their final at bat but stranded a pair of baserunners to bring their total for the game to nine as they fell to 17-9 overall and 1-3 in Big 12 Conference play. TCU is now 15-10 and 2-2 in the league.

Despite a career night on the mound, junior Jon Perrin was the tough-luck loser. Making his second-straight Friday night start, the right-hander racked up a career-high eight strikeouts in eight innings, which also marked a career best. He allowed just two earned runs but fell to 2-2 on the year.

"Our kids competed awfully well all night long," said OSU head coach Josh Holliday. "We faced two of the finest pitchers in the country, and those young men threw the ball exceptionally well. We battled them hard all the way until the very end, and we came up a little short. But we were in position all night long to make a run at them.

"I'm proud of Jon Perrin for settling in and giving us eight strong innings after a tough first one. I thought we won the battle of the game, we just obviously didn't win the first inning and unfortunately that was the difference."

The fateful first inning saw a single, a hit batter and a wild pitch put TCU runners on second and third with one out. Boomer White then provided the Horned Frogs' first run with an RBI single, and Derek Odell followed with an RBI groundout. The Cowboys looked poised to come out of the inning down 2-0, but an error by second baseman Tim Arakawa brought home a third run.

OSU's lone run came in the fourth. Conor Costello led off the inning with a double to the left-center field gap, one of his two hits on the night. Up next, Zach Fish sent a ball up the middle that TCU pitcher Brandon Finnegan got a glove on and deflected to shortstop Keaton Jones. However, Jones' throw to first was wild, allowing Costello to score.

The Cowboys threatened to erase more of their deficit as they loaded the bases with one out, but Craig McConaughy grounded into an inning-ending double play to kill the rally.

OSU left the bases loaded in the fifth and stranded two runners on base in both the eighth and ninth innings.

Following the rough first inning, Perrin settled in and allowed just five hits over his final seven innings.

"I'm proud of Jon's ability to turn the page on the first inning and go out and give our team what we needed, which was a series of zeroes that allowed us to get back in the game," Holliday said. "Jon did his job… Hopefully he builds on this quality outing for his next one because we'll need him to keep pitching like that if not even better."

Finnegan picked up the win for TCU to improve to 5-2. The NCAA leader in strikeouts fanned eight Cowboys and scattered five hits over seven innings. Closer Riley Ferrell sealed the win for his third save as he struck out four over the final two innings.

The two teams return to action Saturday at 3 p.m.

Cowgirl Softball Drops Big 12 Opener

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Oklahoma State softball team dropped its Big 12 Conference opener to Kansas, 1-0 in eight innings, Friday night at Arrcha Ballpark.

The game remained scoreless for seven and a half innings, until in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Jayhawks' Katelyn Schmacher singled down the leftfield line, scoring Taylor Hatfield from second to give KU the victory.

Cowgirl starting pitcher Simone Freeman threw seven innings, giving up the lone run on nine hits and striking out two.

Freeman's counterpart, Kelsey Kessler, threw the  complete-game shutout, scattering five hits and striking out 13.

At the plate, Shelby Davis led the Cowgirls, going 3-for-4 with a triple. The triple that Davis hit in the top of the fourth inning was the first triple of the season for OSU. Ari Morrison and Whitney Whitehorn also had base hits for the squad.

The Cowgirls (19-12, 0-1 Big 12) return to the diamond Saturday afternoon for game two of the three-game series with Kansas (25-10, 1-0 Big 12). First pitch is set for 2 p.m.