The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Oklahoma State
No. 1 Baseball posts 4-3 win over Oklahoma State in series opener
04.22.2005 | Baseball
STILLWATER, Okla. -- Sophomore right-hander Kyle McCulloch (Houston, Texas) allowed only two earned runs on seven hits during his second career complete game effort to lead No. 1 Texas (34-6, 10-5 Big 12) to a 4-3 victory over Oklahoma State (28-15, 8-8 Big 12) in front of 2,470 fans at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium on Friday, April 22. Of note, with the victory, the Longhorns extend their current win streak to seven games
After OSU starter Thomas Cowley worked out of a two-out jam in the top of the first, the Cowboys used a leadoff double from Justin Colbert in the bottom of the frame followed by two errors and a sacrifice fly off the bat of first baseman Adam Carr to grab a 2-0 lead. Quickly answering in the top of the second, the Horns received a one-out walk and a bloop base hit from Chance Wheeless (Round Rock, Texas) in front of two errors on a groundball to the right side that plated one run and a safety squeeze bunt from Nick Peoples (Round Rock, Texas) that knotted the score at 2-2. In the bottom of the second, OSU reclaimed the lead at 3-2 on a two-out, solo home run from Chris Gutierrez, but UT answered in the top of the third with a Seth Johnston (Boerne, Texas) leadoff home run to again tie the score. The Horns then grabbed their first lead of the game later in the third when Will Crouch (Austin, Texas) delivered a sacrifice fly with runners on the corners after Taylor Teagarden (Carrollton, Texas) had walked and Carson Kainer (Tomball, Texas) singled.
While Oklahoma State threatened to tie the game in the third with a one out triple and in the fifth with a runner on second with one down, McCulloch induced a fielder's choice groundout that cut down the runner at home in the third and recorded back-to-back strikeouts in the fifth to keep the Longhorns in front. Following a scoreless sixth and seventh for both sides, the Cowboys then received a leadoff double from center fielder Steve Ptak in the bottom of the seventh. After a sacrifice moved Ptak to third with one down, McCulloch picked up his fifth strikeout of the evening before retiring his next batter on a fly ball to left to end the inning the way it started. With the eighth inning then going quietly for both sides and the Longhorns set down in order in the top of the ninth after a diving catch from Ptak denied Robby Hudson (Redlands, Texas) of extra bases, the game moved to the bottom of the ninth. OSU would put the tying run on base with a one-out single from Rusty Ryal in the final frame, but McCulloch managed to set down his next two batters on a pop-up and a fielder's choice grounder to close out the 4-3 win. McCulloch, who scattered five hits over the final seven innings, walked one and struck out seven during the Horns' third complete-game effort of the year, picked up the win to improve to 7-2 on the year, while Cowley shouldered the loss despite fanning six during a complete-game outing.
Paving the way for the Texas offense was Johnston, who recorded his team-leading 22nd multi-hit game of the year with a 2-for-4 evening that included one run scored and one RBI, and Stubbs, who extended his current hit streak to seven games with a seventh-inning, bunt single. Oklahoma State, meanwhile, had its attack led by Ryal, who went 2-for-4, and Gutierrez, who scored one run and drove in another during a 2-for-3 night. Of additional note for UT, McCulloch has now recorded complete-game efforts in two of his last four starts.
UT and OSU continue this series on Saturday, April 23 with a 2 p.m. Central contest at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.
