BYU pitching struggles and a fifth inning offensive explosion lifted the Oklahoma State Cowboys to a 12-5 win over the BYU Cougars Friday night at Miller Park.
The Cougars struggled on the mound, throwing out seven different arms by the time it was all said and done.
The Cowboys, who average nine hits, finished the night with eleven, seven of those going for extra bases. The staff also combined for six wild pitches, putting unnecessary runners in scoring position and beating themselves in many ways.
"We got to find a way when we score, to throw up a zero and keep the momentum going," said head coach Trent Pratt.
Inability to maintain a lead — or put themselves in a position to regain one— has been the Achilles heel of this team this year as Pratt described.
This recurring struggle manifested in the early innings of Thursday's matchup. The Cougars took their first, and only, lead of the game on a two run shot over the right field wall from shortstop Ryder Robinson in the bottom of the third. It was Robinson’s seventh of the year, bringing his RBI count up to 18 on the season.
The excitement was short-lived for the Cougars. The Cowboys hopped on starter Wayland Crane early in the fourth, converting a leadoff single and a walk into two runs, regaining the lead 3-2.
Pratt certainly would have liked more out of Crane, who looked good through the first three frames but then lost control of his pitch mix and struggled to get out of at-bats.
The bullpen is not the Cougars' strength, and they were forced to dip in early tonight after Crane was pulled in the fifth, giving up five runs over four full innings of work.
The Cowboy offense really found its groove in the aforementioned fifth inning. Following a leadoff walk to right fielder Danny Wallace, Cowboys' nine-hole hitter Garrett Shull unloaded a 2-2 fastball into the street beyond the left field fence.
Doubles from Smithwick and left fielder Alex Conover plated three more runs in the inning for the Cowboys, extending the lead to 8-2 and putting the game essentially out of reach for the Cougars.
Keeping the gap wide for the Cougars was an impressive pitching performance from Cowboy starter Mario Pesca, who put up three more scoreless frames after the Robinson homer in the third. His night ended after an RBI double from Tu’alau Wolfgramm gave the Cougars their third run in the bottom of the seventh. The final line for Pesca: 109 pitches over 6 and 2/3 innings of work, six hits, two walks, seven strikeouts and three earned.
BYU would threaten after Pesca got pulled, loading the bases with two outs. A perfectly timed jump and catch from shortstop Thompson robbed Robinson from a hit and the Cougars from at least 2 runs, ending the inning and leaving the bases stranded.
The Cougars added two in the eighth, but it wasn’t enough as the Cowboys added three themselves, finishing with 12 runs to the Cougars five.
The two clubs will face off for the rubber match at 1 p.m. Saturday at Miller Park. The broadcast will be available on ESPN+ and play-by-play with Greg Wrubell will be available on BYU radio.