Cowboys Take Game One Over KU, 9-5
April 14, 2006
STILLWATER, Okla. –
Oklahoma State’s Shelby Ford hit two home runs to lead the Cowboys (20-11, 4-6 Big 12) to a 9-5 victory over the University of Kansas (24-14, 6-7 Big 12) Friday night in Stillwater, Okla. <?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
Junior Sean Land (4-6) took the loss and was tagged with five earned runs in 5.0 innings of work. The junior walked a season-high four batters while his five earned runs tied a season-high.
Sophomore John Allman was 3-for-3 and reached base all four times to increase his Big 12 batting average to .467 (21-for-45). Senior Gus Milner went 3-for-4 with three RBI. Senior Jared Schweitzer had two hits for his team-high 17th multi-hit game of the season.
The Cowboys took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. After a lead off walk and single put runners on the corners with no outs, Land coaxed a ground ball double play as KU traded the two outs for a Cowboy run.
Singles by Schweitzer, Allman and Milner tied the game at 1-1 in KU’s half of the second inning.
OSU went up 3-1 courtesy of two solo home runs. Ford led off the second inning with a homer to left field and Tyler Mach blasted his 10th of the season in the third inning.
Milner tallied his second RBI single of the game in the fourth inning, scoring Allman who reached base with a double.
Sean Land walked Deik Scram and Ty Wright to start the sixth inning and was relieved by freshman Paul Smyth. The first batter Smyth faced, Adam Carr, laid down a sacrifice bunt that was fielded by Erik Morrison at third base. Morrison’s throw to first sailed high allowing Carr to reach safely and Scram to score. Shelby Ford then hit his second home run of the game to give OSU a 7-2 lead. The three-run homer was his ninth of the season.
Freshman Preston Land pulled the Jayhawks to within three runs with a two-run blast over the left centerfield wall. Freshman Buck Afenir followed with his first career double sending OSU’s starter Matt Gerdner out of the game for lefty Trent Lare. Lare recorded the next two outs to stifled KU’s rally.
OSU added two runs in the seventh inning with a walk and two singles.
In the eighth inning Milner tallied his third RBI of the game on an infield hit. KU then loaded the bases with two outs forcing OSU to call on shortstop Jordy Mercer to pitch. Mercer responded with a strikeout of pinch hitter Justin Ellrich to end the inning. Mercer pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn his first save of the season.
KU and OSU will play game two of the three-game series Saturday at 2 p.m.
Game Notes: Senior Ritchie Price played in his 225th career game, to break the school record previously held by Brent Wilhelm (1992-95) … Jared Schweitzer hit clean-up for the first time of the season … Schweitzer moved into fifth place all-time when he was hit by a pitch for the 18th time in his career in the sixth inning … KU is 7-1 when Brock Simpson hits leadoff … KU is now 3-7 against Oklahoma State under Ritch Price … Oklahoma State improves to 13-2 at home on the season … Temperature was 88-degrees at first pitch.
