Cowboys Eliminated After Ninth-Inning Rally Falls Short

News9.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Oklahoma State baseball team's season came to a heartbreaking end when a ninth-inning rally fell short in a 3-2 loss to Belmont Saturday.

The Cowboys went into the ninth inning trailing 3-0 and had only two hits, but they immediately began to make things interesting. The first two batters of the frame reached base thanks to a walk and throwing error.

After a strikeout, Zach Johnson singled to load the bases with one out. Belmont pitcher Jon Ivie then walked each of the next two batters, driving in two runs to cut the lead to 3-2 and keeping the bases loaded.

Suddenly OSU did not even need to get a base hit to tie the game; a sacrifice fly would have done the trick. The Cowboys just needed to avoid a double play ball. Unfortunately, they couldn't do it.

Davis Duren stepped to the plate and hit a sharp ground ball to shortstop Jared Breen. Breen stepped on second base himself and threw to first for a double play that ended the Cowboys' season.

Belmont pitcher Chase Brookshire was dialed in to start the game, retiring the first 14 batters he faced. OSU finally broke up his perfect game in the fifth inning when Duren reached base on a bunt single.

Belmont put Brookshire back on the mound in the ninth to try to go for a complete game, but pulled him after the first two batters reached. Both of OSU's ended up being credited to him, although one was unearned. He gave up just two hits and struck out six in his eight innings of work.

Brad Probst also had a strong outing for OSU on the mound. He gave up one run in the first and another two in the third, but settled down after that. He ended up pitching 7.1 innings and holding Belmont to just five hits while striking out 11.

The loss was OSU's fourth in a row and eliminated it from regional play despite being the No. 2 seed in the Nashville Regional.