OSU Baseball Falls In Season Opener

<p>No. 7 Oklahoma State opened the season with a 3-2 loss to host UT-Arlington at the Clay Gould Classic.</p>

Friday, February 19th 2016, 4:40 pm

By: News 9

Oklahoma State opened the 2016 season Friday with a 3-2 loss to host UT Arlington at the Clay Gould Classic.

The seventh-ranked Cowboys put the tying run on third base in their final at bat but couldn’t push across a run as their comeback bid fell short.

Junior Trey Cobb, making just his second career start and first since 2014, took the loss on the mound. The right-hander surrendered three runs – only one of them earned – on six hits while striking out five and walking a pair.

Offensively, Donnie Walton and Jacob Chappell collected two hits apiece. The Cowboys finished with seven hits but left eight runners stranded on base.

UTA scored all of its runs with two outs. That trend began in the bottom of the first when three consecutive singles with two outs brought home the game’s first run.

The Mustangs plated their final two runs in the third. Matt McLean reached on an error by Chappell to open the inning, and two-out RBI singles by Colton Turner and Darien McLemore made it 3-0.

OSU threatened to score in its next at bat, loading the bases with one out in the fourth, but Ryan Sluder grounded into a double play to end the threat; the play marked one of three double plays turned by UTA on the day.

The Cowboys managed their first run in the fifth when Conor Costello, who reached on an error to open the frame, scored on a balk.

Down 3-1, OSU trimmed its deficit again in the seventh on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Corey Hassel, but the Cowboys would fail to score again.

Tyler Buffett came on in relief of Cobb to open the sixth and gave the Cowboys a chance by shutting out UTA over three innings.

Down to its final out in the ninth, OSU sent pinch hitter Colin Simpson to the plate, and the freshman delivered a triple to the wall in center field. However, Daniel James would get Garrett McCain to ground out to seal the win for the home team.

OSU returns to action Saturday with a pair of games as the Cowboys take on Stephen F. Austin at 11 a.m. before another showdown against UT Arlington at 2:30 p.m.