No. 10/16 Baseball clipped by No. 21/14 Oklahoma State, 2-1

Saturday, April 26

Austin, Texas

1 p.m.

University of Texas

32-12, 10-7

Oklahoma State

30-13, 12-5

Oklahoma State

Texas Longhorns

No. 10/16 Baseball clipped by No. 21/14 Oklahoma State, 2-1

04.26.2014 | Baseball

Box Score

Longhorns get solid pitching but are unable to provide run support

Quotes

AUSTIN, Texas -- The No. 10/16 Texas baseball team received quality pitching performances from starter Dillon Peters and the bullpen but the Longhorns were unable to muster enough run support and fell to No. 21/14 Oklahoma State, 2-1, Saturday afternoon.

Peters allowed just one unearned run in five innings and was at his best with runners on base, stranding eight Cowboys. He exited with the game tied 1-1, but Oklahoma State got the go-ahead run when it strung together three straight two-out singles in the sixth.

The Longhorns had chances to tie it up, putting a runner in scoring position in the sixth and eighth innings, but each time Oklahoma State pitched out of trouble.

The loss dropped Texas to 32-12 overall and 10-7 in the Big 12, while Oklahoma State improved to 30-13 overall and 12-5 in the Big 12. The Longhorns, who won 3-0 Friday night, will look to capture a series victory Sunday afternoon with senior Nathan Thornhill (6-1, 0.97) on the mound.

Oklahoma State starter Tyler Buffett kept Texas off-balance for 4 2/3 innings, allowing just one run on one hit and five walks. The Cowboys bullpen was even better, with three pitchers combining to allow just one hit in 5 1/3 scoreless innings. Alex Hackerott (2-1) tossed an inning of relief and was credited with the win.

Texas reliever Morgan Cooper (4-2) was pegged with the loss. With the game tied 1-1, the freshman was first out of the pen to replace Peters and quickly retired the first two batters he faced. Oklahoma State, though, used three straight singles – including a run-scoring knock from Donnie Walton on a 0-2 count – to break the tie. That snapped a streak of 18 1/3 scoreless innings from Cooper.

Travis Duke followed Cooper with 1 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out three and retiring all four batters faced, while John Curtiss worked a perfect ninth to keep Texas close.

Prior to that, Texas was nearly able to take the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Walks to Kacy Clemens and Brooks Marlow gave the Longhorns two runners on with two outs, and Ben Johnson ripped a single to right field. The ball was hit hard enough, though, that Clemens had to be held at third. With the bases loaded, Oklahoma State went to Hackerott, who got Mark Payton to ground out to end the inning.

Early in the game, Peters and Texas almost constantly worked out of trouble. Peters, who had a career-high six assists, fielded his position well to work out of the second inning after allowing two singles to start the frame. The junior got a groundout right back at him for the first out, a sacrifice bunt for the second and a strikeout for the third.

The only run Peters allowed came in the fifth, when he made a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt with two runners on that allowed Oklahoma State's first run to score. But Peters limited the damage, leaving the bases loaded by getting a popup, strikeout and flyout.

Texas had taken an early lead, using a pair of walks, a wild pitch and a RBI groundout to edge in front 1-0 in the second inning.

Payton, who had an infield single in the eighth, extended his reached-base streak to 83 games. He and Madison Carter, Jacob Felts, Weston Hall, Alex Silver and Nathan Thornhill will be honored prior to Sunday's game, which is serving as Senior Day.