Mother Nature pushes Bedlam baseball opener conclusion to Saturday – Stillwater News Press

OKLAHOMA CITY – For the second-straight night, Mother Nature spoiled Bedlam baseball fans.

However, fans at the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City were treated to a half game of baseball before rain and lightning suspended the weekend series opener for more than five hours.

Oklahoma State led 5-2 after the top half of the fifth inning. Rain began to fall as the half inning ended, cueing the field crew to roll out the tarp for the second-straight night of this series.

Shortly before 10 p.m. Friday, the game was called and suspended until Saturday. The rest of the game will start at 4:35 p.m. Saturday in OKC, resuming with the start of the bottom half of the fifth inning.

After that game concludes, a single nine-inning game will be played. There will not be a third game of the series.

The Cowboys will need to win both games to earn the No. 8 seed in next week’s Big 12 Tournament. Kansas State won both games of its doubleheader at Baylor on Saturday, thus winning the series and taking a lead over the Cowboys in the conference standings.

In Friday’s game, the Cowboys regained the lead in the top half of the fifth inning before the rain started. Cameron Dobbs and Garrett McCain were walked around a sacrifice bunt from Ryan Cash. Garrett Benge followed with an RBI single, scoring Dobbs as the tying game and advancing McCain to third base.

Colin Simpson was walked after Benge’s hit, but Ryan Sluder hit an RBI groundball that turned into a fielder’s choice at second base. McCain scored on the play, giving OSU a 3-2 lead.

Cade Cabbiness followed with a two-out, two-run double to the right field warning track. Benge scored from third and Sluder scored first on the play. Sluder’s slide at home beat the OU throw, which eventually sailed over catcher Renae’s Martinez’s head.

The Sooners scored two runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning on two doubles down the left field line. A two-out single pushed the second run across.

OSU took a 1-0 lead in the top half of the first inning, on only one hit. McCain doubled down the right field line before advancing to third base on a wild pitch. After Benge was walked and Simpson struck out, McCain and Benge successfully executed a double steal.

Benge narrowly avoided a tag during a rundown as he was caught off first base. During the rundown, McCain stole home before Benge stepped on second base.

To follow action Saturday from Bedlam series, follow Jimmy Gillispie on Twitter @jgillispie_stw.