(Photo by Michelle Bishop)
Omaha, Neb. – Oklahoma State had not allowed a run in the first two games of the College World Series. Arizona changed that in a big way, beating the Cowboys 9-3 Friday afternoon. The Wildcats were led by senior Zach Gibbons and sophomore J.J. Matijevic.
Gibbons, who finished three for five with two RBI, got his day started in the top of the first with a single and then came around to score on a Matijevic single through the left side. Matijevic also finished three-for-five on the day for Arizona.
The Wildcats kept the bats going in the top of the second. Back-to-back doubles with one out by Cesar Salazar and Louis Boyd brought home Salazar to make it 2-0. After a groundout moved Boyd to third, Gibbons singled to center field to put Arizona up by three.
Arizona (47-22) starter Nathan Bannister who had not allowed a hit through two-and-two-thirds innings, left the game with an apparent injury in the top of third after issuing a two out walk. Bannister was relieved by Kevin Ginkel (5-1) who got a fly ball out to center field to end the inning.
Oklahoma State (43-21) began the fourth inning making a call to the bullpen. Jensen Elliot (9-3) was pulled after three innings and replaced by Remey Reed. Arizona drew two walks off of Reed to start the inning, and after a fly out moved the runner from second to third, a sacrifice fly from Gibbons brought home Salazar.
Reed was solid for the rest of his outing for the Cowboys going four innings, only allowing the one run and striking out seven.
The Cowboys climbed back in to the game in the bottom of the fourth. After a two out walk, Oklahoma State picked up its first hit of a game on a triple to the right field corner by Conor Costello to score Garrett Benge. On the next pitch, a wild pitch from Ginkel brought home Costello to make it 4-2 after four full innings.
Ginkel was relieved by Cameron Ming in the top of the fifth and Ming, who picked up his fourth save, was solid for the Wildcats, going the rest of the way while only giving up one run on two hits, while striking out two Cowboys.
Arizona looked to add another run to the lead in the top of the sixth on a single by Gibbons, but Salazar was thrown out at the plate by center fielder Ryan Sluder for the final out of the inning.
In the top of the eighth Arizona loaded the bases on a hit by pitch with one out. Garrett Williams, who replaced Carson Teel earlier in the inning, struck out the next batter for out number two and looked to get out of the jam with a chopper to second baseman J.R. Davis, but Davis’s throw pulled Dustin Williams off first base allowing the Wildcats’ fifth run to come across the plate. Arizona took advantage of the error with a single by Gibbons through the left side to bring home another run, chasing Williams from the game.
Michael Mertz was brought in to the game for Oklahoma State and stranded the bases loaded getting a fly out to center field and keeping the Cowboys only down four.
Arizona added three more runs in the top of the ninth, one off of a single by Jared Oliva, one due to an error after a sacrifice bunt, and a sacrifice fly by Cody Ramer.
Oklahoma State added their last run on a two out double by Andrew Rosa to score Benge in the bottom of the ninth.
The Wildcats and the Cowboys will play again tomorrow with the winner going to the championship series of the College World Series.
