The Oklahoma State baseball team won their second in a row yesterday in a 7-3 victory against the no. 27 Missouri State Bears.
The Oklahoma State baseball team faced a tough test yesterday against the no. 27 ranked Missouri State Bears. MO State entered the contest with a 10-1 record, while the Cowboys came in with a 6-5 record.
OK State only faced the Bears in a one game series at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium in Stillwater yesterday. The Cowboys hoped to extend their winning streak to two games, after defeating the Arkansas Razorbacks in the final game of the Frisco College Baseball Classic.
Starting pitcher Joe Lienhard did not get off to a great start yesterday, giving up three hits and two runs (only one of them earned), in only two innings of work. Carson Teel replaced Lienhard in the third inning.
Teel gave the Cowboys seven quality innings of work on the mound on his way to claiming his first victory of the season. He gave up one earned run and three hits while striking out 10 batters.
MO State jumped out to the early lead by two runs entering the bottom of the third. However, after scoring two runs in the third inning and then four runs in the fourth, the Cowboys would not give up the lead for the rest of the game.
After the second inning, the Cowboys outscored the Bears 7-1. In the end, they came away victorious with a 7-3 win.
Catcher Michael Neustifter finished with three hits and three runs batted in, including a two-run home run in the fourth inning. Third baseman Garrett Benge added another two RBI on one hit. Benge now leads the team with 14 RBI.
Second baseman Ryan Cash and designated hitter Colin Simpson knocked home the other two runs.
OK State totaled nine hits yesterday. However, they also continued to struggle defensively and with runners in scoring position. They left 11 runners and base, while MO State only left four. OK State also committed two errors, while MO State did not commit a single one.
There are signs of improvement in the form of the starting rotation looking much better. Teel got off to a rough start this season, and last night was his best performance of the season.
Jensen Elliott has been the most consistent so far and Tyler Buffett had his best game of the season in a shutout victory against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on March 3.
Altogether, things are looking up for the Cowboy baseball program in 2017 under head coach Josh Holliday.
Up next for OK State is a three game series with South Dakota State, starting on March 10 at Allie P.
Yesterday’s game against MO State kicked off a 10-game homestand that finishes on March 21 in Bedlam against the Oklahoma Sooners.
Next: Cowboy Tennis ranked higher than ever before
You can view the entire 2017 OK State baseball schedule here. You can view the entire box score from yesterday’s 7-3 victory over the Missouri State Bears here.