Cowboys Get First Win Of 2017 To Even Series

Sunday, February 19

Phoenix, AZ

7:00 PM (CST)

Oklahoma State University

1-1

Grand Canyon

1-1

Oklahoma State

Grand Canyon

Jensen Elliott

February 19, 2017 | Cowboy Baseball

Box Score

PHOENIX – Oklahoma State staved off a late rally by Grand Canyon to collect its first win of the season Sunday night at Brazell Stadium.

With their 6-5 victory, the 11^th-ranked Cowboys evened the series to set up Monday's rubber game against the Lopes at 2 p.m.

Jensen Elliott was outstanding in his first start of 2017 to earn the win on the mound, while Andrew Rosa sparked the Cowboys' offense to an early lead they would never surrender. Blake Battenfield recorded the final four outs of the contest to earn the save.

Elliott surrendered a pair of singles in the bottom of the first inning but combined with battery mate Travis Wacker to squash GCU's hopes with a strike 'em out, throw 'em out double play to end the inning as Wacker gunned down the runner trying to steal third.

OSU carried that momentum into its next at bat. After a Dustin Williams' single and a walk to Colin Simpson, Rosa delivered an RBI ground-rule double into the left field corner to put the Cowboys up 1-0.

The Pokes pushed the lead to 2-0 in the sixth thanks again to a double by Rosa, who laced one down the left-field line to score Simpson from first base.

Pitching with a lead, Elliott dominated the Lopes' lineup. After the two first-inning singles, the sophomore right-hander did not allow another hit until a one-out single in the seventh and at one point, he retired 12 batters in a row.

With OSU leading 3-0 in the seventh thanks to a Garrett Benge RBI single in the top of the frame, Elliott left with one out in the bottom of the inning after throwing 83 pitches and racking up seven strikeouts, one shy of his career high. He did not issue a walk.

OSU would double its lead in the eighth. Wacker got things started with a solo home run to left-center field, a blast that marked the JUCO transfer's first-career hit for the Cowboys and was the Pokes' first round tripper of the season.

The Cowboys pushed their lead to 6-0 later in the inning when Ryan Sluder smashed a two-RBI double into the left-center field gap.

GCU began to mount a comeback in the eighth against OSU reliever Jonathan Heasley, who made his OSU debut to open the inning. After back-to-back singles, Heasley got two-straight outs, but a walk loaded the bases and then Ian Evans delivered a two-RBI single to right field, with a third run scoring on an error by Jon Littell on the play as the Lopes cut their deficit to 6-3.

Battenfield came on in relief to get the final out in the eighth, but the Lopes would mount another rally in their final at bat.

Greg Saenz led off the bottom of the ninth with a single off Battenfield, and pinch-hitter Cuba Bess then doubled off the right-center field wall to cut the OSU lead to 6-5.

OSU then received a little luck as Battenfield delivered a pitch that Wacker had to reach for but couldn't handle. Fortunately for the Cowboys, the ball deflected off the home plate umpire and Wacker was able to pick it up and fire to third to put out the runner trying to advance.

Battenfield retired the next two Lopes to seal the win for the Cowboys.