Cowboys' Rally Comes Up Short In Arkansas

Oklahoma State’s ninth-inning rally fell short Tuesday night at Baum Stadium as the 18th-ranked Cowboys dropped a 7-6 contest to Arkansas.

With the loss, OSU fell to 25-15 on the season and split the season series with the Razorbacks, with each team winning on its home field.

Arkansas scored the decisive runs in the eighth as the Hogs improved to 25-16.

Offensively, the Cowboys were led by Donnie Walton and Collin Theroux, who each smashed home runs in the contest. Walton finished 3-for-4 at the plate with a pair of RBIs, while Theroux drove in three runs.

Walton gave OSU a lead in its first at bat, driving in J.R. Davis from second with a single, but the Hogs answered in the bottom of the first on a two-run homer by Luke Bonfield.

After surrendering the round tripper, OSU starter Michael Mertz was able to limit the first-inning damage as Arkansas left the bases loaded.

In the third, Walton struck again, this time crushing an offering from UA starter Isaiah Campbell over the wall in right field to tie the score at 2-2.

The fourth inning saw the Cowboys regain the lead on a two-out double off the bat of Theroux, a hit that gave the visitors a one-run advantage.

Two innings later, Theroux continued his hot hitting as he delivered a two-run shot to left field to put OSU up 5-2. The homer was his fourth of the season, with two of those coming against the Razorbacks.

After falling behind by three, Arkansas would plate five runs over the sixth, seventh and eighth innings against five different Cowboy pitchers to take the lead.

The Hogs scored twice in the sixth, then tied the game in the seventh. Bonfield led off that inning being hit by a Carson Teel pitch, and three batters later, an RBI single by Rick Nomura knotted things at 5-5.

Arkansas overtook the Pokes in the eighth. After Jake Cowan struck out Cody Scroggins to open the inning, Clark Eagan doubled to right field, sliding safely into second just ahead of a strong throw from Corey Hassel. Up next, Carson Shaddy tripled into center field to plate the go-ahead run before a sacrifice fly pushed the Razorbacks’ lead to 7-5.

OSU would not go quietly in the ninth as the Cowboys mounted a two-out rally. Once again it was Walton getting things started with a double, and Garrett Benge followed with an RBI single up the middle to make it 7-6.

That brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the form of Colin Simpson, but the Cowboys’ DH fouled out to end the game.

Cowan suffered the loss on the mound, falling to 0-1 after allowing two runs on two hits in 2/3 of an inning.

OSU is scheduled to return to action Wednesday when the Cowboys host Little Rock at 6 p.m. at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.