Ah, but 18 runs — that was in play.
The Cowboys charged toward — and past — that figure, eventually posting a 24-2 rout that set a record for the widest margin of victory in the series.
Oklahoma State, ranked as high as No. 9 nationally, batted around twice, totaled 20 hits, four extra-base hits and nine walks, all pleasing to a big crowd of 3,111 at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium. The Cowboys batted .434 for the game and went 14-for-32 with runners in scoring position.
“We played a good game tonight,” said Cowboys coach Josh Holliday. “A lot of things went our way. Our kids did a good job.
“That score is by no means a reflection of the quality of the ball club that we played. I assure you that. We pitched well. We swung the bat well. We played good defense. Sometimes the score gets out of hand.”
This time, it got out of hand quick.
OSU sent 11 men to the plate in the first inning, scoring eight runs and chasing Sooner starter Jeffrey Curran after just two outs.
Interestingly, the Cowboys said momentum flipped in the top of the first, when OU’s first two batters singled, yet never advanced past second.
With two on and nobody out, the Sooners’ Craig Akin tried to move the runners over with a bunt. But OSU catcher Bryan Case jumped the bunt and fired to third to get the lead runner. After that, Cowboys starter Conor Costello struck out the next two batters to end the threat.
“When you see the guys behind the plate and on the mound do stuff like that, it gets your mind in the right place and makes you want to do well at the plate to back those guys up,” said Gage Green, who had three hits and drove in three runs.
“It’s definitely easy to build off energy when guys make plays like that.”
On the flip side, the Sooners didn’t make the plays, botching two OSU bunts in the bottom of the first for two of their four errors in the game.
The Cowboys seized opportunity, getting a two-run double from Costello and a two-run triple from David Petrino in the inning.
