Cowboys Win On Walk-Off Single in 10th
Davis Duren’s single in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted Oklahoma State to a Bedlam Series win Sunday as the 18th-ranked Cowboys knocked off No. 8 Oklahoma, 11-10, at RedHawks Field at Bricktown.
OSU’s second walk-off win of the weekend helped the Cowboys maintain the third spot in the Big 12 Conference standings at 10-5, just one game behind leaders Texas and Texas A&M. The Pokes, who are 27-9 overall, will face this weekend in College Station, Texas.
Sunday’s victory marked the sixth time this season has won a game in its final at bat and gave the Cowboys their first Bedlam Series win since 2008.
In the decisive 10th inning, the Sooners (26-10, 7-7) had two runners on with two outs and the go-ahead run at second when Cowboy reliever Andrew Heck struck out OU pinch hitter Cody Reine on three pitches. Heck would earn the win with a scoreless inning of relief to improve to 2-1.
Heck’s strikeout set the stage for Duren’s heroics.
In the bottom of the inning, Zach Johnson led off with a single against OU reliever Tyson Seng. After a sacrifice bunt by Jared Womack and an intentional walk to Mark Ginther, Duren stepped to the plate and drilled the second pitch he saw up the middle for his fourth hit of the game. Johnson slid into home with the winning run to set off an celebration.
The Cowboys’ win was set up in large part due to a seven-run rally in the eighth inning, most of that coming against OU All-American closer Ryan Duke.
entered the eighth trailing 7-3, but the Cowboys erupted for seven runs on six hits to take their first lead of the night. After trimming the deficit to 7-6, a two- single by Womack put the Pokes on top, and they weren’t done as they added runs on an error and a Duren single to go up 10-7 going into the ninth.
In the ninth, it was closer Chris Marlowe giving up a lead in large part due to the right-hander issuing four walks. A bases loaded single by Tyler Ogle brought home two runs and made the score 10-9, and a walk once again loaded the bases before Cameron Seitzer was hit by a pitch to bring home the tying run.
With the game tied, Hunter Herrera would come up big out of the Cowboys’ bullpen as he came in and got Casey Johnson to line out to end the inning.
As it did throughout the series, fell behind early. Eric Ross led off the game with a single, and after stealing second, he scored on a single by Garrett Buechele. Ogle followed Buechele with OU’s third single of the inning, but Cowboy starter Andrew Heaney escaped further damage by getting Evan Mistich to ground into an inning-ending double play.
The Cowboys did not stay down long, however, as they answered with a run in the bottom of the first. Following a single by Dane Phillips, Johnson delivered a double into the left-center field gap to tie the score at 1-1.
OU regained the lead in the third. Singles by Caleb Bushyhead and Ogle put Sooners at first and third, and Mistich made it 2-1 with a sacrifice fly. Up next, Seitzer pulled a ball down the line that ricocheted off first base and into right field for an double, a hit that put OU up two and ended Heaney’s day on the mound.
Down 3-1, the Cowboys lost out on a golden scoring opportunity in the third. Phillips opened the frame with a triple but was gunned down at home trying to score on a ground ball to shortstop. would later put runners on first and second with two outs, but Duren fouled out to end the inning.
In the fifth, a leadoff walk proved costly for the Cowboys. Ogle drew the free pass and after advancing to second on a bunt, he scored OU’s fourth run on an single by Seitzer. The Sooners would go up 5-1 later in the inning after scoring on single off the bat of Ricky Eisenberg.
Once again, would rally in the bottom of the inning. Back-to-back singles by Devin Shines and Phillips opened the frame, and Johnson followed with his second double of the game, a hit that brought home both runners and made the score 5-3.
The Cowboys would miss out on an even bigger inning, however. With Johnson on second, Womack blistered a ball that a diving Seitzer kept from getting to the outfield, which likely saved a run but still put runners on the corners with no outs.
But OU called on Bobby Shore out of the bullpen, and the Sooner right-hander struck out Ginther on three pitches, and then got Duren to line into an inning-ending double play.
The Sooners added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth. Ogle’s seventh of the series, which came on a two-out double, gave OU a 6-3 advantage, and a throwing error by Duren brought home the seventh run.
returns to action Tuesday when the Cowboys host Wichita State at 6:30 p.m.
Updated 04-18-2011
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