Baylor Baseball Stifled in Series Finale at No. 15 Oklahoma State

[Calderone, Max]

BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – March 26, 2023

Baylor Baseball Stifled in Series Finale at No. 15 Oklahoma State
Bears fall in seven-inning run-rule in Stillwater
For more information contact: Max Calderone, 254-265-1639, Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu<mailto:Max_Calderone at Baylor.edu>

STILLWATER, Okla. – Baylor baseball (9-15, 2-4) fell in the form of a seven-inning run-rule at No. 15 Oklahoma State (20-5, 4-2) on Sunday, 13-2, at O’Brate Stadium in Stillwater, Okla.

The Bears bats, which had tallied 27 hits through the first two games of the series, were held in check by OSU’s Juaron Watts-Brown, the Preseason Big 12 Pitcher of the Year. Watts-Brown mowed down 13 in six innings, allowing two runs on just four hits.

Junior RHP Will Rigney allowed his first two runs of the year and was held to just 54 pitches, getting through 2.1 innings.

THE RUNDOWN
Rigney worked out of danger in the first two frames, leaving a combined five Cowboys stranded, but was tagged for a two-run shot in the bottom of the third that opened the scoring for OSU.

As Baylor hitters struggled to solve the puzzle that was Watts-Brown, the Cowboys added three in the fifth off back-to-back RBI doubles and another trio in the sixth that scored on a three-run blast.

Sophomore C Cortlan Castle came through with his second hit of the day, an RBI single, to get BU on the board in the top of the seventh. Then, freshman INF Kolby Branch smoked a line drive that the OSU shortstop dropped, allowing a run to score, but still managed to get the force out at second ahead of an inning-ending double play that prevented a larger rally.

In the bottom of the seventh, an RBI single extended OSU’s lead to 9-2 before a game-ending grand slam finished off the run-rule.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Junior RHP Will Rigney made his first start of the year and threw a season-high 54 pitches.
• Sophomore C Cortlan Castle recorded his fourth multi-hit game of the season.
• Junior INF/OF Cole Posey extended his team-leading hit streak to eight games.
• Sophomore INF Hunter Teplanszky reached base for the 12th-consecutive game.
• Freshman OF Caleb Bergman extended his on-base streak to five games.

STAT OF THE GAME
54 – The number of pitches thrown by junior RHP Will Rigney, a season high, in his first start of the year.

QUOTABLE
Head Coach Mitch Thompson
On today’s game…
"Well, I think we ran into a buzzsaw. I think Oklahoma State is really playing well and I give their club a lot of credit. I think Watts-Brown was outstanding for them on the mound, gave them a great start, and we couldn’t get into their bullpen. If we could’ve done that, then maybe we have a chance, but we couldn’t do that. He was excellent. He looked like the guy everyone said he was going to be, the conference pitcher of the year. And their hitters, you try to hold them and do a pretty good job for a while, but then all of a sudden they just explode. They’re built for this ballpark and they wear it out.”

WHAT’S NEXT
Baylor (9-15) returns home for a Tuesday night clash against Abilene Christian (18-6) with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m. at Baylor Ballpark in Waco.

To stay up to date on all things Baylor baseball, follow the team on its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BaylorBaseball.



-BaylorBears.com-


__________________________________

Max Calderone | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (BSB, FB, EQ)
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 254-265-1639

[signature_367362383]<http://baylorbears.com/>

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