Stillwater NewsPress

OSU Sports

March 9, 2013

Oklahoma State baseball falls to Loyola Marymount

By NewsPress Staff Stillwater NewsPress

STILLWATER, Okla. — Oklahoma State fell behind early and could not complete a comeback against Loyola Marymount as the 26th-ranked Cowboys dropped a 5-2 decision Saturday at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.

The loss was just the second at home this season for the Cowboys as they fell to 11-3, while LMU improved to 6-9. The two teams will battle in the rubber match of the series Sunday at noon, with OSU looking to win its fourth-straight weekend series.

OSU fell behind early as the Lions collected a run off Cowboy starter Kenton Bevacqua in the first inning, then tagged the southpaw for three more runs on three hits in the second. The big blow in the inning came on a two-RBI double by David Edwards.

Following a 58-minute rain delay, neither offense could get much going.

LMU’s Trevor Megill, who was scheduled to start the game on the mound, came on after the weather delay and worked five innings, allowing two runs on three hits and picking up the win to improve to 2-1.

The Cowboys didn’t get on the scoreboard until the seventh when, trailing 4-0, Tanner Krietemeier led off the inning with a home run, his third of the season. Zach Fish followed that with a blast of his own over the center field wall, also his third of the year, and suddenly the OSU deficit was cut in half.

OSU failed to score again in the seventh but mounted a promising rally in the eighth. In that inning, back-to-back walks to Gage Green and Donnie Walton and a bunt single by Aaron Cornell loaded the bases with no outs and ended Megill’s day on the mound.

But the Cowboys could not take advantage, as Sean Buckle came out of the bullpen and struck out pinch-hitter Trey Whaley before getting Krietemeier to ground into an inning-ending double play.

“Our kids didn’t quit,” said OSU head coach Josh Holliday. “They put two great swings on the ball to cut the lead in half in the seventh and then fought to load the bases in the eighth and put ourselves in a position to win the ballgame. That’s all you can ever ask for, to be in it until the end.

“We got on the brink there, but a credit to (Buckle), he came out of the bullpen and made a couple of great pitches. Sometimes you’ve got to look at the other side and say that in that moment in time, he got the best of us.”

Despite the loss, Holliday was encouraged by the pitching performance of freshman Alex Hackerott. The southpaw worked 3.2 scoreless innings in just his second collegiate appearance and allowed only two hits while striking out four.

“Alex Hackerott was the bright spot for us today,” Holliday said. “He gave us a really good outing, pitched very well. That’s a real bright spot for our staff and our team moving ahead, to get hi

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