Texas falls to Oklahoma State in game one

Texas Longhorns baseball (13-10, 3-1 Big 12) did not get off to the series start it wanted on Friday night, as the ‘Horns fell 6-1 to the Oklahoma State Cowboys (11-8-1, 1-0 Big 12).

A lackluster offensive performance doomed the ‘Horns, as David Pierce’s team only notched four hits. Zach Zubia supplied the lone run for Texas on the night, knocking his sixth homer of the season in the bottom of the ninth.

That run wasn’t nearly enough, as the Cowboys had already put up six runs by then. Texas starter Blair Henley actually didn’t have a terrible game, but Oklahoma State simply chipped away at the ‘Horns and Texas couldn’t provide a response.

Oklahoma State broke open the scoring in the second inning with an RBI single, and then added another on a solo homer in the fifth.

The floodgates didn’t truly open for the Cowboys until the seventh inning, when Henley was perhaps running out of gas. Ok. State started the inning with a lead off triple that scored when Henley had a wild pickoff attempt to the next batter.

After a single and then a double to put runners on second and third with no outs, lefty Josh Sawyer took the mound for the ‘Horns. Sawyer, however, allowed a homer to the first batter he faced to make the score 6-0.

Kamron Fields then replaced Sawyer and was one of Texas’ lone bright spots for the night. The freshman got out of the sixth on a strikeout, single, then double play to end the inning. He finished the night with another scoreless frame in the seventh, getting out of the jam after allowing a leadoff walk and single.

Texas’ Chris Fearon got the call in the ninth inning and also held the Cowboys scoreless. The former Kansas pitcher got two strikeouts to start the inning, then allowed a double, then got a grounder to end the frame.

Though Texas appears to be in lackluster form right now, the ‘Horns were also 13-10 at this point last year and ended up only barely missing a Super Regional.

That said, the ‘Horns return to action today at 2:30 pm CST and are in desperate need of the win. Nolan Kingham will start for Texas, and will likely face Carson Teel.

You can catch the action on the Longhorn Network or 104.9 The Horn. Hook ‘Em.