OSU Takes Down Missouri State

Oklahoma State won for the first-time ever at Hammons Field Tuesday night as the Cowboys knocked off Missouri State, 6-4.

OSU, which had not won in four previous games against the Bears in Springfield, improved to 25-10 with its second victory over MSU (21-11) this season. The game also marked the Cowboys' 11th come-from-behind win in 2013.

"It was a battle, there were some awkward moments, but we persevered," said OSU head coach Josh Holliday. "I'm really proud of our guys for bouncing back after a difficult Sunday (loss to TCU) with very little time to recover, and it was a valuable win for us."

Vince Wheeland picked up the win on the mound as the junior right-hander improved to 7-0, with his seven wins now tied for the most in the Big 12 Conference this season, while Brendan McCurry earned his team-best sixth save.

Randy McCurry led OSU at the plate, going 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Saulyer Saxon and Zach Fish added two hits apiece.

The Cowboys took the game's initial lead on an RBI groundout by Victor Romero in the third inning, but the Bears plated a pair of runs against OSU starter Jon Perrin in the fourth to go up, 2-1.

OSU did not face a deficit for long, however, as it rallied for four runs in a pivotal fifth inning.

Tanner Krietemeier got things started with a leadoff walk, and a single by McCurry and a walk to Victor Romero loaded the bases with no outs. Up next, Trey Whaley fell behind in the count but then took four-straight pitches out of the zone to collect an RBI walk that tied the score at 2-2.

Donnie Walton would give the Cowboys the lead on an RBI groundout, and two batters later, Gage Green delivered a clutch two-out, two-RBI single to push the OSU lead to 5-2.

OSU held that lead until the seventh when the Bears mounted another rally. After three walks loaded the bases, Travis McComack delivered a two-out, two-RBI single off Kyle Gehrs to make the score 5-4.

Clinging to the one-run lead with runners on first and second and two outs, the Cowboys called on Wheeland out of the bullpen, and he escaped further damage by striking out pinch hitter Conner Wilson to end the inning.

OSU added a key insurance run in the eighth when Saulyer Saxon, who led off the inning with a single, scored on an RBI single by Randy McCurry.

The Cowboys return to Big 12 Conference action Friday when they open a three-game series with Kansas State at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.