THE RUNDOWN
Tuesday night, DBU (16-13, 6-3 CUSA) fell to Oklahoma State (18-11, 3-6 Big 12) by a score of 14-4, taking the season series 2-0. Patriot starter
Aiden VanDeHatert tossed two and two-thirds scoreless innings in his first start of the season, allowing one run and striking four batters in the process.
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VanDeHatert delivered a one-two-three inning in the top of the first, before DBU jumped out to a 2-0 lead on
Luke Pettitte's seventh home run of the season. Pettitte's big fly brought in
Dylan Cupp, who reached base on a lead-off single.
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Neither team would bring a run to the plate in the second, but Oklahoma State would begin to claw back in the top of the third.
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Lead-off man Ezra Essex scored on a wild pitch with two outs in the third, but
Russ Smith, who had just entered the game, would settle down and limit the damage to one run.
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DBU would respond in the bottom of the fourth inning, as
Mac Rose made the score 3-1 with an RBI groundout following a double steal.
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Colin Brueggemann led off the next half inning with a solo homer, but Smith would retire the next three hitters to maintain the lead.
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After getting blanked in the bottom of the fifth, the Patriots would relinquish their advantage in the top of the sixth as the Cowboys sent 11 batters to the plate in the process of scoring six runs.
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DBU loaded the bases with zero outs in the bottom of the sixth, but would just manage to score one run as
Mac Rose drove in his second RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring
Ryan Martin. After six innings of play, the Patriots trailed 8-4.
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Brueggemann and TP Wentworth hit back-to-back home runs in the top of the seventh, making the score 11-4.
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Oklahoma State would add to its lead again in the ninth, plating three runs on a Garrett Shull homer over the batter's eye.
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With two outs in the bottom of the ninth,
Ryan Martin clobbered a 448-foot home run over the Patriot bullpen beyond the left field wall, but the Cowboys would put an end to this one just two batters later.
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THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
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Cooper Neville extended his hitting streak to 13 games.
- Despite the loss, DBU outhit Oklahoma State 10-9.
- The last time Patriot pitchers walked 11 hitters was on March 29, 2025, against New Mexico State (16-13 win).
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INSIDE THE NUMBERS
17 - DBU pitchers set a season-high with 17 strikeouts as a team tonight.
4 -
Luke Pettitte's first-inning homer was his fourth big fly in as many games.
399 - There were 399 total pitches thrown at Horner Ballpark tonight.
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ON DECK
The Patriots will look to bounce back as they travel to Kennesaw, Georgia, for a weekend set against Kennesaw State (14-10, 5-4 CUSA). Friday's first pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. CST.
