Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Oklahoma
Cowboys Fall in Eighteen Innings Of Bedlam
April 16, 2014 | Cowboy Baseball
April 16, 2014
STILLWATER, Okla. – The Bedlam Series lived up to its name Tuesday night at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium as it took 18 innings to decide a winner. And nearly six hours after the game's first pitch, Oklahoma emerged a 12-9 victor over 13th-ranked Oklahoma State in what was the longest game in Cowboy baseball history.
The non-conference game, which spanned five hours, 52 minutes, surpassed the prior record for the longest OSU contest of 15 innings, which had previously occurred three times, the last coming on March 25, 2011 against Texas.
After scoring five runs in its final two at bats to send the game into extra innings, OSU surrendered three runs in the top of the 18th inning to fall 26-11 on the season.
Along with the 21 runs, the rivals combined for 33 hits — five of them home runs — and 35 runners left on base. Sixteen different pitchers were used, nine of those by the Cowboys. In the end, OU's Kindle Ladd earned the win, and Sheldon Neuse the save, while Tyler Nurdin was the losing pitcher.
The loss snapped OSU's five-game winning streak, while the Sooners (24-14) were able to halt a four-game skid.
“That was a lot of fun — that was two very competitive teams that just left it all on the field,” said OSU head coach Josh Holliday, whose Cowboys are now 1-1 against OU this season. “There were lots of moments for both teams. I'm really proud of our team. Even though we lost the score, I think we won in a lot of ways, just the spirit to compete and will to fight back.
“It was a great ball game. It goes down in the books as one of the longer ones, and credit to OU for finding a way to win. But I'm awfully proud of my team, and there's a lot to build on from that.”
There was plenty of scoring early before both pitching staffs settled in.
OU jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in its first at bat on a grand slam by Austin O'Brien, but the Cowboys answered via the long ball in the bottom of the inning.
Tanner Krietemeier got things started with a two-run, opposite-field shot to left, and Gage Green followed with his second round tripper of the season to make the score 4-3 after one.
However, OU pushed its lead to five in the second inning, tallying four more runs to go up, 8-3. Anthony Hermelyn, Sheldon Neuse and Mac James each had RBIs in the frame.
That 8-3 score stood until the sixth when Zach Fish blasted a solo homer to left-center field to cut the OSU deficit in half.
However, Kolbey Carpenter returned the favor in OU's next at bat, delivering a solo shot to left-center field as the Sooners regained their five-run advantage.
But the Cowboys would not go down without a fight. In the eighth, Holliday's club rallied for three runs on two hits, and the ninth inning saw them complete the improbable comeback to tie the score.
Krietemeier got things started in the ninth with a one-out double, and a single by Green put runners on the corners. Fish then picked up an RBI with an infield single to make the score 9-8. Following a passed ball and an intentional walk that loaded the bases, Ryan Sluder brought home the tying run on a fielder's choice.
That would be the final run until the 18th, as over the next eight innings, neither team could manage much offense.
But in the 18th, the Sooners finally got to Nurdin, who had come on in relief of Blake Battenfield with two outs in the 15th. Each of OU's runs in the final frame came with two outs. Carpenter broke the tie with an RBI double before Taylor Alspaugh and Craig Aikin added to the lead with RBI singles.
The 3-4-5 hitters in the OSU lineup — Krietemeier, Fish and Green — combined for 10 hits, with each collecting at least three and Fish recording a career-high four.
OSU returns to Big 12 Conference action Friday when the Cowboys open a three-game series with Kansas at Reynolds Stadium.
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)
