Cowboys Clinch Series
STILLWATER, Okla. – Oklahoma State rallied for six runs in the second inning and five in the fourth and held on for an 11-9 win over Nebraska Sunday at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium to give the Cowboys their first Big 12 Conference series win of the season.
With the win, the Cowboys improved to 17-8 overall and 2-4 in league play, while Nebraska fell to 15-13 and 3-6 in the Big 12.
Andrew Heaney picked up the win on the mound to improve to 3-0, and fellow freshman Ian McCarthy earned his second save. Every player in the lineup collected a hit, with five different Cowboys recording s.
Heaney got off to a rough start as the Cornhuskers tagged the southpaw for four runs on four hits in the top of the first. Cody Asche and Chad Christensen hit back-to-back home runs in the frame, with Christensen’s blast making the score 4-0.
The Cowboys would answer in a big way in the bottom of the second off NU starter Tom Lemke as they erupted for six runs on six hits to take the lead.
Nico Rosthenhausler got things started with a walk, and after a double by Luis Uribe, Kevin Chambers plated OSU’s first run with an infield single.
Dusty Harvard kept the scoring going with an single, and two batters later, Tom Belza’s single trimmed OSU’s deficit to 4-3. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Mark Ginther tied the score, and Dane Phillips followed with a sac fly of his own to put the Cowboys on top. A single by Kevin David provided the sixth and final run of the inning.
In the fourth, the Cowboys added to their lead with three-straight hits. Phillips brought home OSU’s seventh run with a double, and another single by David made it 8-4. Rosthenhausler then stepped to the plate and delivered his second homer of the season, a three-run blast to right-center field to give the Pokes an 11-4 advantage.
After his tough first inning, Heaney kept the Huskers off the scoreboard for the next four innings. But NU struck for three runs in the sixth, getting singles from Asche and Kale Kiser and a sacrifice fly from Tyler Farst.
The score remained 11-7 until the ninth when Nebraska mounted another rally. Back-to-back hits by Christensen and pinch hitter Cade Thompson trimmed OSU’s lead to three, and a fielding error by Belza at shortstop allowed the Huskers to score their ninth run.
But with one on and one out, DJ Belfonte lined into a game-ending double play to secure the win for the Cowboys.
Phillips and David led the offense with three hits and two s apiece, while Rosthenhausler added three s.
returns to midweek action Tuesday when the Cowboys host Wichita State at Reynolds Stadium before traveling to Springfield, Mo., to take on Missouri State on Wednesday.
Updated 04-05-2010
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