Early Deficit Hurts WVU in Series-Finale Loss

Sunday, April 17

Morgantown, W.Va.

1:00 p.m.

West Virginia University

22-12, 6-3

Oklahoma State

26-10, 9-3

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Oklahoma State	5	0	0	2	1	1	0	4	13	11	0
West Virginia	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	3	3	3

April 17, 2022 05:04 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score Season Stats Randy Mazey Postgame

By: Joe Mitchin

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 24-ranked West Virginia University baseball team dropped Sunday afternoon's series finale with No. 3 Oklahoma State, 13-3, at Wagener Field at Monongalia County Ballpark.

After falling, 2-1, on Friday night and bouncing back for a 5-2 win on Saturday, the Mountaineers (22-12, 6-3 Big 12) fell into an early hole and were unable to recover in the rubber game of this weekend's three-game, Big 12 Conference series. Fifth-year senior right-handed pitcher Zach Bravo took the loss, dropping his record to 3-1 on the year, while Bryce Osmond earned the win for the Cowboys.

"Our guys showed up ready to play, we just ran into a really good, hitting team," WVU coach Randy Mazey said. "They hit some home runs in the first inning, and when you do that, it seems like it deflates everybody a little bit."

Oklahoma State (26-10, 9-3 Big 12) jumped out to an early lead with a five-run, first inning. OSU hit back-to-back home runs at one point to fuel the frame.

From there, sophomore right-hander Carlson Reed pitched a scoreless second and third in relief, before the Pokes added to their advantage with two runs in the fourth.

After OSU made it 8-0 in the top of the fifth inning, sophomore infielder Nathan Blasick hit a solo homer just fair down the right-field line to get the Mountaineers on the board. The big fly marked the second in the last two games for the Halifax, Pennsylvania, native.

Oklahoma State got its run back in the sixth, though, before the Mountaineers recorded a two-run seventh to cut the deficit to 9-3. First, Blasick singled up the middle to earn his second RBI of the day and later scored on a wild pitch.

Blasick finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and the two RBI on the afternoon.

In the eighth, OSU tacked on four runs to extend its lead to 10 and notch the victory after a scoreless bottom half by the Mountaineers.

Along with Blasick, sophomore catcher McGwire Holbrook had a double and a run scored in the setback. WVU also used seven pitchers on Sunday.

Sunday's result secured the series win for Oklahoma State. WVU is now 13-22 all-time against the Cowboys, as well as 5-3 against ranked opponents this season.

"We haven't played a bad game in a really long time," Mazey said. "When you play 60 games a year, you're going to play some bad games. That's hard to avoid. It's just unfortunate that we played one today."

Up next, the Mountaineers travel to PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, to take on rival Pitt on Tuesday, April 19. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. ET.

For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUBaseball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.