(NORMAN, Oklahoma / May 12, 2019) – For the third-straight year and the sixth time in seven seasons under head coach Josh Holliday, Oklahoma State won the Bedlam Series as the 16th-ranked Cowboys defeated Oklahoma, 10-7, in Sunday’s series rubber game at L. Dale Mitchell Park.
With the win, OSU improved to 30-17 overall and 12-9 in Big 12 Conference play; OU is 31-20 and 9-12 in the league. The Cowboys are now 24-7 against the Sooners in Holliday’s seven seasons at the helm of his alma mater.
Bryce Carter’s three-run home run with two outs in the eighth inning put the Cowboys on top for good and was one of three homers on the day for OSU, with Cade Cabbiness and Carson McCusker also going deep.
Jake Lyons earned the win with 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief to improve to 4-2, and Ben Leeper collected his sixth save by stranding the bases loaded in the ninth.
OU jumped out to an early lead in its first at bat. Leadoff hitter Jordan Vujovich drew a five-pitch walk, and a single by Tanner Tredaway put runners on the corners with no outs. After a strikeout, the Sooners took a 1-0 lead on an RBI groundout by Tyler Hardman
The Cowboys tied the score in the second, getting a two-out, solo home run to right field by Cabbiness. The blast was Cabbiness’ fourth homer of the season and made the score 1-1.
The home team used a long ball of its own to go back on top in the third as Vujovich led off the inning with his first home run of the year. The Sooners weren’t done as back-to-back singles and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with no outs and ended OSU starter Brett Standlee’s day on the mound.
With Peyton Battenfield on to pitch for the Pokes, a pop up to center field was lost in the sun, dropping for a fielder’s choice RBI and a 3-1 lead for the Sooners before an RBI single off the bat of Brylie Ware gave OU a 4-1 advantage.
The Cowboys were not down long, however, as they rallied for three runs to tie the game in the fourth. McCusker got things started with a leadoff double, and up next, Alix Garcia trimmed OU’s lead in half with an RBI single. After OSU loaded the bases with no outs, Hueston Morrill grounded into a double play, but a run scored to make it 4-3.
OSU’s final run in the frame came on an RBI single by Christian Funk as the visitors knotted the score at 4-4.
The tie score lasted briefly as OSU took its first lead of the day in the fifth. Andrew Navigato opened the inning with a single and stole second base, giving Garcia another RBI opportunity. And the Cowboys’ first baseman delivered, ripping a two-out single to left field to plate Navigato with the go-ahead run.
But the back-and-forth affair continued in the bottom of the inning as OU went back on top with a two-out rally. With one on and one out, Battenfield hit Justin Mitchell with a pitch before walking Ware. That brought Brandon Zaragoza to the plate, and the Sooners’ shortstop smacked a two-RBI double just inside the right-field line to give OU a 6-5 lead.
In the decisive eighth, the Cowboys struck for four runs on three hits to take control of the scoreboard once again.
After Jake Taylor was hit by a pitch with one out, Cabbiness doubled into the right-field corner. Up next, Morrill tied the game with an RBI on a fielder’s choice, and two batters later, Carter provided the big blow when he deposited a Ledgend Smith offering over the wall in right field for his third homer of the season.
OSU added an insurance run in the ninth when McCusker drilled his fifth home run of the season, an opposite-field shot to right that extended the OSU lead to 10-6.
The Sooners made things interesting in the ninth, loading the bases with no outs against Brady Basso after a hit-by-pitch and two walks.
That brought Leeper out of the bullpen, and he successfully worked out of the jam. After OU cut its deficit to 10-7 on a sacrifice fly, a pop up resulted in the second out of the inning before another walk again loaded the bases. But Leeper retired Zaragoza on a pop up to secure the win for the Cowboys.
OSU concludes the regular season this week when the Cowboys host Baylor in the final three regular-season games at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium. The series opener is scheduled for Thursday at 6:35 p.m.