LUBBOCK, Texas – Oklahoma State forced a rubber game in the NCAA Lubbock Super Regional with a 6-5 win over Texas Tech Saturday at Rip Griffin Park.
Playing in his hometown, Noah Sifrit scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth as OSU improved to 40-20 on the season. Sunday’s Super Regional finale is scheduled for a 5 p.m. start with the winner advancing to next week’s College World Series.
Leading the charge for the Pokes offensively were Hueston Morrill, who went 3-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs, two walks and a stolen base, and Colin Simpson, who finished with a pair of hits, one of those a homer, and three RBIs.
Ben Leeper picked up the win on the mound, working the final 1 1/3 innings and allowing only one hit and an unearned run as he improved to 4-3 on the season.
Designated as the home team, OSU jumped out to an early lead in its first at bat. Morrill led off the inning with a single and after stealing second, he would come around to score on an RBI single by Simpson.
The Red Raiders (43-18) tied the game for the first of three times on the night in the third when Gabe Holt drove in a run on a fielder’s choice before Parker Scott struck out Josh Jung with the bases loaded to escape further damage.
Scott was outstanding in his eighth start of the season as he worked six innings and allowed just two runs on four hits while striking out five. The sophomore southpaw left the game to open the seventh with OSU leading, 3-2.
The Cowboys led 3-2 thanks to a two-run home run from Morrill in the fifth as the freshman delivered his second long ball of the season over the left-field wall to snap a 1-1 tie.
In the seventh, TTU tied the game at 3-3 on a solo homer by Dru Baker off OSU reliever Peyton Battenfield, and the Red Raiders would take their first lead of the game in the eighth on another hit by Baker, this one an RBI single.
Down 4-3, the Cowboys answered in the bottom of the inning. Morrill led off the frame with a single, and after a Christian Funk sacrifice bunt, Simpson deposited the first pitch he saw from Dane Haveman deep over the wall in right field to put OSU up 5-4.
Once again, TTU answered, this time taking advantage of a two-base error to open the ninth before Brian Klein delivered a sacrifice fly to knot the score.
But OSU capitalized on some erratic pitching in the bottom of the ninth to extend its season.
Following a leadoff walk to Sifrit, he advanced to second on a wild pitch. Alix Garcia then drew a walk, and another wild pitch put Cowboys on the corners with no outs. After a foul out, Morrill walked to load the bases, and with Funk at the plate, Taylor Floyd uncorked a pitch that carried to the backstop and allowed Sifrit to come home with the winning run.
Today’s win snapped OSU’s eight-game losing streak against Texas Tech; the Cowboys were winless in their four previous games against the Red Raiders in 2019.
