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Oklahoma State Drops Two of Three to West Virginia

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Oklahoma State lost their first Big 12 series of the conference season, dropping two of three to the West Virginia Mountaineers in Morgantown this weekend. The Cowboys record sits at 19-9 after this disappointing result.

In Friday’s 4-3 loss OSU only manage three hits in a 10-inning game, two of which were home runs by Garrett Benge and Collin Theroux.

RHP Thomas Hatch had a solid outing on Friday going seven innings while only allowing two runs on five hits. Hatch continues to be a reliable Friday night option for OSU and he kept his undefeated (2-0) record intact.

However, the bullpen did not support Hatch’s efforts. Costello, Tyler Buffett and Blake Battenfield each gave up a run squandering the lead the Cowboys had created. Battenfield allowed a walk-off home run on the first pitch on 10th inning for his first loss of the season.

Saturday’s contest wasn’t much different as OSU could only muster six hits in a 4-3 loss. The Cowboys have gotten by with an underwhelming offense all season, but a .241 team average (last in Big 12) will not win a conference title.

Injuries have hindered this offense with Ryan Sluder going 1-12 in his second series since returning from an injury and Connor Costello has yet to make his return to the lineup.

The team was without Donnie Walton in the starting lineup for the first two games, but he returned going 2-4 with two RBIs to rebound for an 8-1 victory in the series finale. J.R. Davis went 4-4 and brought home four runs of his own in hitting for the cycle on Sunday.

Freshman RHP Jensen Elliott put together his best effort yet in the finale, tossing a complete game to lower his ERA to 1.82 on the season. Elliott battled shaky command at times, which contributed to his highest pitch total of the season (133).

In his previous two outings Elliott threw 117 and 109 pitches. Pitching coach Rob Walton isn’t afraid to let his pitchers throw until he thinks they are tired, but you have to wonder if this is going too far with Elliott. OSU will need a reliable Sunday starter if it wants to compete for a regional host spot and possibly more, but Elliott could be worn down by then.

 

The Cowboys should take a hit in the national rankings this week, but a series loss this early in the season shouldn’t mean much come June. OSU sits at 4-2 after two conference series’ and will be hosting a streaking Texas Tech team this weekend at Allie P. Reynolds. The Red Raiders are a regional-quality club that should make for a very competitive opponent.

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