The Missouri State baseball team (23-15) watched leads of 4-0, 5-4 and 6-5 evaporate as Oklahoma State (27-15) scored in every inning after the second in a 10-7 loss to the 25th-ranked Cowboys Wednesday evening at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium in Stillwater, Okla.
OSU’s Randy McCurry gave the home team its first lead at 7-6 with a pinch-hit two-run homer in the seventh, and stayed in to pitch his ninth save of the season, retiring MSU in order in the eighth before adding a two-run single in the bottom of the frame to make the score 10-6.
Ben Carlson, who was hit by a pitch in the fourth to claim MSU’s career record to himself at 34, opened the ninth with his 11th home run of the season, and the Bears sent the tying run to the plate in the inning before McCurry slammed the door with his fourth strikeout.
Kevin Medrano blasted his third home run of the year with no outs in the third following singles by
Tyler Ryun and
Aaron Conway for a 3-0 MSU lead. OSU starter Uriah Fisher struck out the next two Bears before issuing a two-out walk to
Dallas Hord, and
Chris Playter drove him home with a triple to right center.
The Cowboys quickly cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning on Davis Duren’s two-run homer with no outs, and Jared Womack’s two-out double in the fourth made the score 4-3.
Pat Doyle walked Duren and hit the next batter to load the bases before striking out Kevin David to keep the one run lead.
OSU loaded the bases again with one out in the fifth and Tom Belza lifted a sac fly to right center to tie the game at 4-4, but Missouri State regained the lead in the sixth when Medrano laced a two-out single to center to score
Trevor Rogers from second.
David’s one-out double in the sixth tied the game again at 5-5, but
Brayden Drake hammered a solo homer to lead off the seventh and put the score back in MSU’s favor at 6-5.
Missouri State had several chances to put more offense on the board, stranding runners in scoring position in seven different innings.
The Bears travel to Evansville (19-20, 6-9 MVC) for a three-game league set this weekend. First pitch Friday is 6 p.m.
