Cowboys lose to ORU in regional opener, face elimination vs DBU sports

Davis Cordova Staff Reporter

Colin Brueggemann stepped into the box with bases full of Cowboys and two outs in the third inning, but grounded a ball to second base for the out.

It was that kind of night for OSU, where it couldn’t plate runners in scoring position, especially in the early innings.

The Cowboys lost 6-4 to Oral Roberts on Friday at O’Brate Stadium in the Stillwater Regional. OSU will play an elimination game versus Dallas Baptist, Saturday at 2 p.m. ORU’s upset over OSU mimicked the first two games the teams played against each other in the regular season.

In ORU’s April 11 and May 2 wins versus OSU, the Golden Eagles led 5-0 and 5-2 late in the games. OSU tried to comeback, but didn’t succeed.

“I think that was a really good, well-played college baseball game all the way around,” ORU coach Ryan Folmar said. “I thought we handled the environment really well and stayed composed. We made some pitches, made some plays, made some swings when we needed to and proud of our guys with the way they competed.”

Two batters prior to Brueggemann’s out, the game went into a 59-minute lightning delay. The delay didn’t effect the game much, but it did influence ORU’s change at pitcher.

Caleb Isaacs came in for relief and even though he gave up three runs in 4 1/3 innings, he nixed OSU’s chance to tie or take the lead through the early and middle innings.

OSU had opportunities early to score with six runners in scoring position in the first four innings but never saw a run cross home plate. OSU batted 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position, with one of the hits leading to two runs.

“Guys were ready, we just didn’t get the base hit we needed there in the early innings with a lot of guys on base,” OSU coach Josh Holliday said.

The Golden Eagles jumped out to 5-0 lead in the fifth inning and had a response when OSU attempted a comeback. OSU scored two runs from a David Mendham single and revived the O’Brate Stadium crowd, but the Golden Eagles’ Mac McCroskey drove in a run with a two-out single in the sixth, pushing the lead back to four runs.

“At the time it was 5-0 then it was 5-2 and then 6-2. I mean you still have to rally,” Holliday said. “You’re still in a position of the game to put something together. We can’t let that knock your spirits.

I mean we had to put a run together whether it be 5-2, 6-2.

Just got to keep going.”

When OSU hammered two solo home runs in the bottom of the eighth and drew a leadoff walk in the ninth to bring the tying run to the plate, ORU’s closer Cade Denton threw together three quick outs to secure the victory.

“The kids did battle back, we got a couple barrels and got the leadoff walk in the ninth inning, but the young man (Denton) made some nice pitches there to finish it,” Holliday said. “You just got to be resilient, that’s all there is to it.” sports.ed@ocolly.com

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Taylor Tuck started the Cowgirls’ six-hit, six-run inning with a double, before Megan Bloodworth and Rachel Becker loaded the bases with no outs. Chyenne Factor capitalized on the opportunity, hitting an RBI single to left.

Enter Morris, who was put in a problematic situation by entering the circle with a juiced-up Cowgirl offense.

On her third pitch, Kiley Naomi had an RBI single to left. Her seventh pitch ricocheted off the front right corner of home plate and over the catcher’s glove, bringing another home. Morgyn Wynne hit a two-RBI double to left center on the eighth pitch. The 10th pitch led to a Katelynn Carwile RBI single, putting the finishing touches on the inning of pure Cowgirl dominance.