After winning the first two games of the series in Stillwater on Friday and Saturday, and was looking for the series sweep on Sunday afternoon, but was unable to hold off the Cowboys offense, losing 11-6.
Despite taking the lead in the top of the eighth inning, a six run bottom half of the inning for the Cowboys was the deciding factor in the game. West Virginia out-hit the Cowboys 14-13, but were unable to keep the ball in the yard as Oklahoma State hit three home runs to WVU’s one.
Freshman starting pitcher Robby Porco was unable to follow up his 12 strikeout performance last weekend against Kansas, going three innings and allowing five runs while striking out three Cowboys hitters.
Tevin Tucker led the WVU offense for the second straight day, following up his three hit day yesterday with a four hit day, including a double and scoring two runs. Ellis Garcia and Logan Sauve both added a pair of doubles, with Garcia also having two RBI’s and a run scored.
West Virginia got off to a hot start offensively, scoring three runs in the top of the first on a Dayne Leonard RBI single and the first of Ellis Garcia’s two doubles in the game that scored two more runs.
WVU threatened with a two out rally in the second, starting with a Tevin Tucker double and eventually loading the bases. The Mountaineers were unable to get any runs out of the inning though, as Caleb McNeely popped out to end the rally.
The Cowboys would get all three runs back in one swing in the bottom of the second inning, after a walk and single set up a two out, three run home run for Marcus Brown to tie the game after two innings.
Oklahoma State took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the third, when Roc Riggio hit a lead-off home run to start the inning. Chase Adkinson added a solo home run of own two batters later to extend their lead to 5-3 after three innings.
Neither team would be able to put any runs on the board in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, combining for just four hits through the three innings.
The Mountaineers would break the scoreless streak in the top of the seventh inning, on a lead-off home run from Grant Hussey to cut the Cowboys lead to 5-4. Ellis Garcia walked as the next batter and stole second to set up a Zack Ramppen game-tying RBI single.
David Hagaman struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh for WVU to keep the game tied after seven innings.
Tevin Tucker singled to lead off the eighth inning, and Landon Wallace bunted him to second. Dayne Leonard made the bunt pay off, doubling in the next at-bat to score Tucker and give West Virginia a 6-5 lead.
Oklahoma State was able to regain their lead in the bottom of the eighth, using six hits, all singles, to score six runs and take an 11-6 lead into the eighth inning.
West Virginia went down in four batters in the top of the ninth inning to end the game and drop the final game of the series.
West Virginia will be back in action on Wednesday, at PNC Park for the first of three iterations of the Backyard Brawl this season against Pitt. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
