Box Score

Dallas Baptist (37-16) scored the first four runs of the game Tuesday night at Patriot Field against Oklahoma State but needed three more between the sixth and seventh innings to defeat the Oklahoma State Cowboys (32-20), 7-4. Michael Smith (3-1) came on in the sixth inning in relief of Jay Calhoun with two men on and allowed the tying runs to score before picking up the win in three innings of work and Stuart Pudenz collected his seventh save of the season by pitching a perfect ninth inning.

DBU struck for two runs in both the first and second innings against OSU starter Jake Abbott. Austin Elkins led off the game with a single and moved to third on a Boomer Collins single before scoring on a Joel Hutter single to shortstop. Landon Anderson then drove in Collins for the second run with an RBI groundout and DBU quickly had a two-run lead.

In the second, Michael Miller and Kenny Hatcher struck out to start the inning before Elkins belted his ninth homerun of the season to rightfield. That was followed by a Ronnie Mitchell triple and a Collins single and the Patriots had scored  two runs after not having a man on with two outs. Oklahoma State would get two of those runs back in the third after getting two singles to start the inning but Calhoun induced a ground out back to the mound to end the inning.

The teams would not score again until the sixth when Calhoun hit the first Cowboy batter of the inning and allowed a single to Randy McCurry. That brought Smith to the mound and he quickly got two outs with a sacrifice bunt and a line out to left. But Mark Ginther singled up the middle with two strikes and two runs scored to tie the game. Smith then pitched around an error with a strikeout to get the game to the bottom of the sixth tied.

One batter into the bottom of the sixth, however, and the game would be tied no more. Ryan Behmanesh homered on the second pitch of the inning for the game-winning RBI and Miller would double off the wall later in the inning and his pinch-runner, RJ Talamantes, would score on a Hatcher single to right. DBU would add another run in the seventh when Mitchell doubled to lead off the inning and scored on a Hutter single and DBU held on to their three run cushion with quality innings from Smith and Pudenz.

DBU will begin their final series of the regular season on Thursday as they take on Bradley in Peoria, Illinois. Game 1 is set for 6:00 pm and live audio will be available on dbupatriots.com.