Cowboys Defeated By Central Arkansas

Tuesday, April 11

Stillwater, OK

4:00 PM

Oklahoma State University

19-13

Central Arkansas

18-16

Central Arkansas

Oklahoma State

April 11, 2017 | Cowboy Baseball

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STILLWATER – A pair of big innings doomed Oklahoma State Tuesday as the Cowboys dropped an 11-5 contest to Central Arkansas at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.

Central Arkansas scored five runs in both the fourth and fifth innings en route to improving to 18-16, while the Cowboys fell to 19-13.

OSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead after three innings as the Pokes plated runs in each of their first three at bats.

Cameron Dobbs led off the bottom of the first with a walk, and a sacrifice bunt by Andrew Rosa moved him to second. Up next, OSU's RBI leader, Garrett Benge, picked up another one with a single up the middle to put the Cowboys up 1-0.

The Cowboys took advantage of another leadoff walk in the second. This time it was Cade Cabbiness drawing the free pass, and two batters later, Trevor Boone brought him home with a double.

The third inning saw OSU execute a delayed double steal as Garrett McCain stole home and Colin Simpson swiped second to put the home team up by a 3-0 margin.

After OSU starter C.J. Varela kept the Bears off the scoreboard over the first three innings, things began to unravel for the freshman right-hander in the fourth.

UCA's Justin McCarty led off the inning with a single and after a flyout, another single put Bears on the corners with one out. Up next, a Varela pitch got away from catcher Colin Simpson, but he was able to recover in time to throw out McCarty trying to score.

The final out of the inning proved elusive, however, as consecutive walks loaded the bases and brought Jonathan Heasley out of the Cowboy bullpen.

Heasley would surrender three-straight RBI singles that plated five runs as UCA took the lead on a two-RBI single by Hunter Strong before the Cowboys finally got out of the inning.

The fifth inning would not go smoothly either. Three walks, three hits and a wild pitch brought home five more runs, with the big blow coming on a three-RBI double off the bat of Keaton Presley as the Bears extended their lead to 10-3.

OSU tallied its only other runs over the next two innings to cut its deficit in half, getting a leadoff home run from Benge in the fifth and an unearned run in the sixth to make the score 10-5.

Heasley took the loss on the mound to fall to 2-4 as he allowed four runs on three hits and two walks in 1/3 of an inning.

The Cowboys finished with eight hits against UCA pitchers Jacob Murray and Brandon Hagerla as Benge, Boone and Dustin Williams each had two apiece.

OSU returns to Big 12 Conference action Thursday when the Cowboys travel to Lawrence, Kan., take on Kansas. Thursday's opener is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start with Friday's game at 7 p.m. and the Saturday finale at 1 p.m.