Box Score MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University baseball team opened Big 12 Conference play at home with a 7-4 loss to Oklahoma State on Friday night.
 
In front of a season-high crowd of 2,085 at Monongalia County Ballpark, the Mountaineers (15-16, 1-6 Big 12) saw their four-game win streak come to an end. The Cowboys (19-12-1, 8-2 Big 12) were fueled by a three-run third and three unearned runs in the fourth, both courtesy of three-run home runs.
 
"I told them that I thought it was a good college baseball game," Mazey said of his postgame message to the team. "They (Oklahoma State) hit two three-run homers with two outs. So, give them credit. I don't think we gave the game away at all. I thought we pitched okay, other than the two three-run homers, and played pretty good defense, and we out-hit them. We're going to focus on what we did well and the process and not worry about the result. We're clicking pretty good on offense right now, and we did the same thing tonight."
 
West Virginia was led by junior second baseman Kyle Gray, who had a career-high four hits in five at-bats with a home run. Gray's solo homer to lead off the fourth was his team-high-tying sixth of the season and ninth of his career.
 
WVU out-hit OSU, 11-8, but left 12 runners on base to Oklahoma State's eight.
 
Making his first start since 2015, senior right-hander Shane Ennis allowed four runs on three hits in 3.0 innings. He struck out three and walked four. Ennis suffered the loss and fell to 4-3 in 2018.
 
Senior right-handed reliever BJ Myers had a strong relief appearance, striking out a season-best nine batters in 5.0 innings. He gave up three runs, all unearned, on five hits with no walks. His nine strikeouts were one shy of a season high.
 
Oklahoma State scored a run in the first on a two-out single, but West Virginia answered right back with two runs in the bottom half to take a 2-1 lead. WVU scored in the first inning for the 13th time this season on an RBI triple by junior right fielder Darius Hill. A groundout by sophomore first baseman Marques Inman drove in Hill to give the Mountaineers the lead.
 
The Cowboys regained the lead in the third on a three-run home run by Michael Neustifter. Myers relieved Ennis to start the fourth. An error put two on, and with two outs, a three-run home run by Colin Simpson extended OSU's lead to 7-2. While all three runs in the inning were unearned, Myers struck out three to get his strikeout-filled outing underway.
 
West Virginia answered right back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth to cut the deficit to three, at 7-4. The inning began with Gray's ninth career home run. Then, junior third baseman Ivan Gonzalez singled through the left side and scored on a sacrifice fly by junior shortstop Jimmy Galusky.
 
Myers struck out two in the fifth and struck out the side again in the sixth.
 
Meanwhile, WVU left two on in the fifth and one on in the sixth and seventh. The Mountaineers loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth, but a strikeout ended the inning.
 
OSU put two on in the ninth, but sophomore right-handed reliever Cody Wood came in and got a strikeout and a flyout to end the inning.
 
The Mountaineers put up a fight in the ninth inning, as Inman doubled and Gray singled to put runners on the corners. However, a popup and a strikeout ended the game, and WVU's attempted rally.
 
The series continues on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET, while Sunday's finale is at 1 p.m. Tickets are available at WVUGAME.com, and on game day at Monongalia County Ballpark. Saturday is Family Day, and fans can purchase four tickets and receive a $10 concession voucher for just $25. Bucket hats, courtesy of Coca-Cola, also will be given away to the first 1,000 fans before the contest. Sunday is the first trading card giveaway of the season, along with Kids Day and postgame autographs, with a new Kids Zone Presented by WVU Medicine Children's and Mr. Twister's Balloon Art and Face Painting.
 
NOTES: West Virginia falls to 15-16 on the season and 6-3 at home … The loss snapped WVU's four-game win streak … The Mountaineers are 7-14 all-time vs. Oklahoma State and 5-6 since 2015 … West Virginia scored in the first inning for the 13th time this season … Kyle Gray hit his ninth career home run and team-high-tying sixth of the season in the fourth inning … Gray had a career-high four hits … Reliever BJ Myers struck out a season-best nine batters, one shy of tying his career high … In 5.0 innings, Myers allowed three runs, all unearned, on five hits with no walks.
 
Single game tickets and mini-packages for the 2018 season are on sale now. Fans can purchase tickets at WVUGAME.com, call 1-800-WVU GAME or visit the Mountaineer Ticket Office at the WVU Coliseum. The 2018 schedule, with game times, can be found on the baseball schedule page on WVUsports.com. A printable PDF and schedule breakdown also are available on WVUsports.com.
 
For more information on the Mountaineers, follow WVU Baseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and visit WVUsports.com.