Oklahoma State baseball rolls past Texas Tech in Big 12 Tournament opener for Cowboys
Oklahoma State had its chances to put Texas Tech away, but instead it waited for the Red Raiders to implode in a 7-2 Cowboy win at the Big 12 baseball tournament at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
The second-seeded Cowboys (37-16) had only one run-scoring hit, but Texas Tech miscues brought in five OSU runs to widen the gap.
The OSU bullpen closed the door for the win after an impressive performance from Carson Benge on the mound and at the plate.
The Cowboys move on to face eighth-seed Central Florida at 7:30 p.m. Thursday with the winner advancing to the semifinals.
Here are three takeaways from the OSU victory:
More: Big 12 baseball tournament bracket: TV schedule, scores, results for 2024 championship
Carson Benge does it all
Making his third start on the mound this season, Benge allowed two runs on three hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks over 6 ⅓ innings to earn the win.
An error gave the Red Raiders a baserunner right before Gavin Kash belted a two-run home run to right field in the seventh, and that ended Benge’s day on the mound.
But the two-way star also did some damage with the bat.
He doubled in the first inning and scored on Zach Ehrhard’s two-run homer. Benge finished 3 for 5 with two runs scored.
Cowboys strand 13
OSU found ways to score, but it wasn’t with timely hitting. The Pokes were 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position — the only hit being Ehrhard’s first-inning homer — and 0 for 5 with the bases loaded.
The Pokes loaded the bases in three different innings, and twice left them loaded.
Of the Cowboys’ final five runs, two scored on wild pitches and three scored on bases-loaded walks.
In all, Texas Tech pitchers combined to walk 12 batters, but managed to strand 13 Cowboys on base.
Bullpen finishes strong
Behind Benge, Tommy Molsky and Robert Cranz combined to record the final eight outs.
Molsky, entering with one out in the seventh, walked the first batter he faced, but got a fielder’s choice and a flyout to end the frame.
Cranz entered with two runners on and retired three straight Red Raiders. Then in the ninth, he allowed two singles to start the inning, but again, got three straight outs to end the game.
In all, Cranz struck out four and didn’t walk a batter.
More: Can Oklahoma State baseball break this recent Big 12 Tournament trend this week?
Oklahoma State baseball live score updates vs. Texas Tech
Cowboys finish off 7-2 victory
Oklahoma State got 6 ⅓ strong innings from starting pitcher Carson Benge, and solid relief from Robert Cranz to finish off a 7-2 win over Texas Tech.
Second-seeded OSU advances to face eighth-seeded Central Florida at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The winner advances to the semifinals.
— Scott Wright, Staff writer
OSU’s Robert Cranz calms the storm
After Tommy Molsky allowed a pair of baserunners without recording an out to start the top of the eighth, OSU went to Robert Cranz out of the bullpen.
The hard-throwing right-hander got a popup to shortstop and two strikeouts to end the inning and preserve OSU’s 7-2 lead.
— Scott Wright, Staff writer
Cowboys leave bases loaded again
OSU keeps putting runners on base, but have stranded 11 of them after leaving the bags full in the bottom of the sixth.
OSU scored one run, on a wild pitch, for a 4-0 lead.
Carson Benge, who has thrown 95 pitches, returns to the mound for the seventh inning.
— Scott Wright, Staff writer
Pokes add one
OSU loaded the bases with no outs, and Texas Tech cycled through four pitchers in the inning, but the Cowboys could only add a single run, expanding the advantage to 3-0 after five innings.
Carson Benge came in to score on a bases-loaded walk by Ian Daugherty, with the final ball called because of a pitch clock violation.
— Scott Wright, Staff writer
OSU leads 2-0 after 4
Carson Benge has allowed two hits with six strikeouts through four shutout innings for the Cowboys, who maintain a 2-0 lead heading to the fifth inning.
— Scott Wright, Staff writer
OSU bitten by bad call
OSU’s half of the second inning ended when a call was incorrectly overturned after a meeting of the umpires. Lane Forsythe foul tipped a pitch that would have been the third strike had it been caught by the catcher.
But the ball clearly hit the dirt before bouncing into his glove. The home plate umpire initially had the correct call, but after Texas Tech argued the call, the umpires gathered and reversed the call. The play was not elligible for video review, so that ended the inning with OSU still leading 2-0.
— Scott Wright, Staff writer
Ehrhard to the air
OSU took a 2-0 lead on Texas Tech with a two-run home run from Zach Ehrhard. That came right after Carson Benge lined a double into the left-center field gap.
Aidan Meola also doubled to right field, but was stranded at second.
— Scott Wright, Staff writer
Carson Benge gets start, looks sharp
OSU coach Josh Holliday kept his top two starting pitchers on the bench for the Cowboys’ Big 12 Tournament opener, instead going with Carson Benge, who has established himself as a strong No. 3 starter over the last month.
Benge, the usual right fielder, remains in the lineup, batting second. He allowed one harmless single in the first inning, striking out two.
— Scott Wright, Staff writer
More: Big 12 baseball tournament bracket: TV schedule, scores, results for 2024 championship
OSU baseball highlights vs. Texas Tech
What time does OSU baseball vs. Texas Tech start?
Date: Wednesday, May 22
Time: 7:30 p.m. CT
Where: Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas
What channel is OSU baseball vs. Texas Tech on today?
Streaming: ESPN+
How to watch online: Watch ESPN (here's how to stream it live)
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State baseball rolls past Texas Tech in Big 12 Tournament
