The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Oklahoma State
Baseball falls to Oklahoma State, 8-7
04.19.2008 | Baseball
AUSTIN, Texas -- The No. 20 Texas Longhorns yielded three runs to No. 18 Oklahoma State in the top of the ninth inning, losing to the Cowboys, 8-7, in Big 12 Conference Baseball action Saturday afternoon at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
Trailing 7-5 heading into the top of the ninth, Oklahoma State (26-11, 10-7 Big 12) got a rally started when Luis Flores drew a walk from Texas reliever Brandon Belt. Neil Medchill followed with a single and Rebel Ridling put down a sacrifice bunt to put runners at second and third. Pat McCrory replaced Belt on the mound for UT and yielded a two-run single up the middle by pinch-hitter Michael Dabbs to tie the score at 7-7. Another sacrifice bunt put Dabbs on second and he scored the go-ahead run on a single up the middle by Donnie Webb.
The Cowboys drew first blood in the top of the first inning. Webb hit a leadoff double to rightfield off UT starter Brandon Workman and moved to third on a groundout. Matt Hague drove Webb in with a ground ball that resulted in an unsuccessful defensive play at the plate, staking OSU to a 1-0 lead. Dean Green followed with a single to put a pair on for Medchill who blasted a three-run home run to the buses in rightfield, inflating the cushion to 4-0.
Texas (23-15, 8-9) responded with four runs in the home half of the second. Preston Clark and Cameron Rupp led off with back-to-back singles to put runners at the corners. An error on a ground ball by Belt pushed Clark across and Kyle Lusson singled to rightfield to load the bases. David Hernandez singled to centerfield to plate Rupp and trim the lead to 4-2. A groundout by Travis Tucker scored Belt and the equalizer came when Lusson scored on a wild pitch.
The Longhorns claimed the lead with a pair of runs in the fourth. Brandon Belt also went to the buses with a home run to rightfield to start the frame. With one out, Hernandez singled, Tucker was hit by a pitch and Michael Torres drew a walk to load the bases. The Cowboys fanned Jordan Danks and looked to get out of the inning when Clark also swung at strike three, but a wild pitch allowed Clark to reach first and Hernandez to score, giving the Horns a 6-4 lead.
Texas tacked on another run in the fifth inning. With two outs, Lusson hit a ground-rule double to left centerfield and scored on a single to centerfield by Hernandez, giving Texas a 7-4 advantage.
The Cowboys began their comeback with a run in the eighth inning. With one out, Webb singled through the right side of the infield and moved to second on a flyout to the fence in leftfield and scored on a single up the middle by Hague.
With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Torres hit a 2-2 pitch up the middle to extend his hit streak to 25 games, a new school record besting Rick Bradley's 25 in 1974.
Hernandez paced the Texas offense, going 3-for-4 with one run and two RBI. Lusson went 2-for-4 with one double and two runs scored. Clark added a pair of hits.
Medchill led the Oklahoma State offense, going 3-for-4 with one home run, two runs and three RBI. Webb went 3-for-6 with one double, two runs and one RBI.
McCrory (0-1) was saddled with the loss for Texas allowing a single to the only batter he faced. Cole Green pitched 5.1 innings of relief, allowing just one run on five hits and one walk while striking out five.
Robbie Weinhardt (2-0) earned the win for Oklahoma State, allowing just one hit in one scoreless inning. Mercer struckout two of the three batters he faced in a shutout ninth inning to earn his sixth save of the season.
The Longhorns look to avoid the three-game sweep when the teams wrap up the series Sunday afternoon at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. First pitch for the Fox College Sports-televised game is 1:05 p.m.
