Arizona Silences Oklahoma State Bats Late, Takes Series Opener 7-4 at O’Brate Stadium
STILLWATER, Okla. — Arizona got off to an early lead, then weathered a late Oklahoma State comeback Thursday night and used a decisive ninth inning to defeat the home-standing Cowboys 7-4 in the opening game of the last Big 12 series at O’Brate Stadium.
Arizona improved to 19-32 overall and 9-19 in Big 12 play with the victory, while Oklahoma State fell to 34-19 overall and 16-12 in conference action. The loss slowed some of the momentum Oklahoma State had built offensively over the past two weeks after entering the night as one of the hottest power-hitting teams in the conference.
Despite entering the game with 132 home runs as a team and averaging nearly nine runs per game over its previous stretch, Oklahoma State managed only four hits and struck out 15 times against Arizona starter Luc Fladda and reliever Corey Kling.
The Cowboys briefly grabbed the lead in the seventh inning on Evan Saunders’ dramatic three-run homer, but Arizona immediately answered with four unanswered runs over the final two innings to reclaim control.
The series continues Friday night in Stillwater with Oklahoma State expected to send left-hander Ethan Lund to the mound.
Arizona Applies Immediate Pressure Against Hudson Barrett
Arizona established offensive pressure from the opening inning against Oklahoma State starter Hudson Barrett.
Nate Novitske opened the game with a walk before Tony Lira lined a single into left field. Hudson Barrett, who was making his first start since being sidelined earlier in the year, nearly escaped the jam after recording two outs, but couldn’t quite get across that finish line, although he did do a good job minimizing the damage.
Andrew Cain worked another walk to load the bases before Maddox Mihalakis drew a bases-loaded free pass as well, forcing home the game’s first run. That was an ominous start to an overall fairly flat evening at O’Brate.
Barrett eventually escaped further damage with back-to-back strikeouts, but Arizona’s approach kept the pressure on, and they added another run in the third inning after Cain tripled to deep center field and later scored on Carson McEntire’s perfectly placed bunt single, extending the lead to 2-0.
Barrett battled through 3.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits while walking three and striking out four on 68 pitches. Give a high-five to Brennan Phillips, who came in on top of Barrett and stranded his runners.
While the sophomore flashed swing-and-miss stuff throughout the outing, Arizona repeatedly forced him to execute and elevated his pitch count early.
Brennan Phillips Stabilizes Middle Innings
Once Barrett exited in the fourth inning, Brennan Phillips delivered one of his steadier relief appearances of the season and bridged the game well enough to give Oklahoma State a chance to climb back into the game.
Phillips inherited traffic immediately after Mathis Meurant doubled down the left-field line off of Barrett, but the veteran left-hander escaped the inning without allowing a run. He then stranded two more runners in scoring position in the fifth inning after Arizona put runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs.
The Cats added to their lead in the 6th inning as well, and moved their lead to 3-0.
Tony Lira ripped a two-out double before Cain followed with an RBI single into shallow center field, pushing Arizona’s lead to 3-0.
Still, Phillips largely kept Oklahoma State within striking distance.
All in all, he worked 3.2 innings while allowing one earned run on three hits, striking out five and walking three. He also held Arizona scoreless in the seventh inning while Oklahoma State’s offense finally showed signs of life.
Wildcats Shut Down Explosive Cowboy Offense Early
For much of the night, Luc Fladda completely neutralized one of the nation’s most dangerous offenses.
Fladda delivered seven impressive innings, limiting Oklahoma State to just three hits and four earned runs while striking out 11.
The Cowboys consistently struggled to handle the veterans’ sequencing and off-speed mix, and struck out in nearly half of their plate appearances, and couldn’t string anything together to put pressure on him.
Alex Conover, who entered the night batting .395 with a 1.195 OPS, doubled in the eighth inning on a ball the left-fielder lost in the lights, but that was followed by Avery Ortiz, fresh off his five-RBI performance against Oral Roberts earlier in the week, popping up, then after a Kollin Ritchie intentional walk, Aidan Meola struck out. Meola struck out 4 times on the night. He had been smokin’ hot coming in, just a reminder that baseball is a hard game, and it’s very humbling.
Kollin Ritchie, Oklahoma State’s home run leader with 28 entering the night, was held without a hit but still managed two walks and scored during the Cowboys’ lone offensive surge. He also nailed one that would be a traditional base hit, but he hit it directly into a shift where the 2nd baseman was playing in shallow right field.
The performance was a 180 from the momentum this offense was bringing into tonight. Over the previous five games entering Thursday, the Cowboys had scored 52 runs and had been on a home run tear.
Thursday, Arizona finally slowed that momentum.
Danny Wallace Sparks Life in Sixth
After being shut out through five innings, Oklahoma State finally broke through in the sixth.
Danny Wallace turned around a fastball and launched it over the center wall for his fifth home run of the season, cutting Arizona’s lead to 3-1.
The homer gave Oklahoma State some energy and much-needed momentum after a frustrating offensive start.
Wallace finished 1-for-3 with the solo homer while continuing to provide some power depth at the bottom of the lineup.
Even after the blast, however, Arizona starter Luc Fladda quickly regrouped and retired Conover and Ortiz to end the inning.
Saunders Delivers Massive Seventh-Inning Swing
The biggest Oklahoma State moment came one inning later.
Ritchie opened the seventh with a walk before Deacon Pomeroy delivered a pinch-hit single to left-center field. That brought Saunders to the plate with two runners aboard and one out.
Saunders crushed a three-run homer to left field, instantly flipping a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 Cowboy lead.
The blast was Saunders’ fourth home run of the season.
Saunders finished 1-for-4 with three RBIs while continuing to produce valuable depth offense. The sophomore now has 13 RBIs and a .852 OPS on the season despite limited opportunities earlier in the year.
For a brief moment, it looked like Oklahoma State might produce another dramatic comeback victory similar to several recent late-inning rallies.
Head coach Josh Holliday praised the fight his team showed after struggling offensively for most of the night.
“I thought our guys competed all night. We didn’t have many hits, but we kept fighting and gave ourselves a chance late.”
Arizona Immediately Responds Against Mario Pesca
Arizona refused to let momentum stay on Oklahoma State’s side for long.
In the eighth inning, Mathis Meurant attacked the first pitch he saw from Mario Pesca and launched a game-tying solo homer to left field, to his opposite field
Then came the decisive ninth.
After Oklahoma State threatened, but couldn’t score in the bottom of the 8th, Andrew Cain singled to open the inning before Mihalakis followed with another base hit. After Carson McEntire was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Arizona reclaimed the lead on Caleb Danzeisen’s sacrifice fly.
Moments later, Meurant delivered the biggest swing of the night for Arizona.
The Wildcat shortstop lined a two-out, two-run double to right field, extending the lead to 7-4 and silencing the Oklahoma State crowd, and, in essence, ending the game.
Meurant finished 3-for-4 with a home run, double, and three RBIs, while Cain went a perfect 3-for-3 with two walks, a triple, and an RBI.
Arizona totaled 12 hits and consistently pressured Oklahoma State pitchers throughout the game.
Pesca was charged with the loss after allowing four earned runs across one inning of work.
Holliday Discusses Offensive Struggles, Late Collapse
After the loss, Holliday pointed to Oklahoma State’s inability to generate consistent offense early in the game.
“They pitched us really well tonight. We chased too much at times, and when you strike out that many times, it’s hard to sustain offense.”
Holliday also acknowledged the importance of executing in late-game situations after Oklahoma State briefly grabbed momentum.
“You have to finish games against good teams. We had the lead late, but they answered immediately and took control back.”
Despite the loss, Holliday emphasized that Oklahoma State remains focused on the bigger picture entering the final stretch of conference play.
“The season doesn’t change because of one game,” Holliday said. “We’ve got another huge opportunity tomorrow.”
Looking Ahead
The Cowboys now face an increasingly important Game 2 matchup Friday night as they attempt to even the series before Saturday’s finale.
Oklahoma State remains firmly in contention for improved Big 12 Tournament positioning despite Thursday’s setback, but the margin for error continues shrinking in a crowded conference race.
Arizona, meanwhile, showed why its record can be misleading. The Wildcats entered the weekend near the bottom of the conference standings, but Thursday’s disciplined offensive approach and dominant pitching performance demonstrated the talent level still present throughout the roster. The Cats are playing for their lives, and likely need to sweep to make the Conference tournament.
