Oklahoma State Drops Diamond Hogs into Loser?s Bracket 14-3

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 22 Oklahoma State solved the puzzle that has been Arkansas right-hander Jess Todd en route to a 14-3 win over No. 11 Arkansas on Saturday night in the winner’s bracket of the NCAA Fayetteville Regional.

A crowd of 9,572 at Baum Stadium watched Todd surrender five runs on six hits over three innings to fall to 9-3 on the season and absorb his first loss since March 17 at Kentucky.

The Hogs fall to 42-20 on the season while Oklahoma State improves to 40-19. Arkansas will play Creighton at 2:37 p.m. on Sunday in an elimination game for the chance to play OSU at 6:37 p.m.

Keanon Simon paced the Cowboys with three hits and three runs scored while Tyler Mach connected for a grand slam in the fourth inning and drove in five on the night. Rebel Ridling was 2 for 5 with a home run and a double.

Justin Friend earned the win out of the bullpen for OSU with five-scoreless innings of work to improve to 6-3 on the year. Joe Kent started for the Cowboys and gave up three runs – two earned – on three hits with a strikeout.

Casey Coon was the lone Razorback to collect multiple hits and Danny Hamblin tied Kenderick Moore for second place in career hits with 282nd.

Both teams turned lead-off doubles into single tallies in the first inning. Ben Tschepikow’s double into the left-center gap scored on Coon’s RBI single up the middle for the Hogs. Keanon Simon also a doubled into the left-center field in the bottom of the first for OSU and scored on a RBI ground out by Ty Wright.

The Cowboys continued the offensive onslaught in the second inning with a solo home run from Ridling and a RBI single up the middle Simon to give OSU a 3-1 lead.

OSU pushed the lead to 4-1 in the third inning on a RBI double into the gap by Ribling. The Cowboys chased Todd from the game in top of the fourth innings as he walked the leadoff hitter – the nine-hole – on four pitches.

Dallas Keuchel came on and walked two before giving up a grand slam to Mach to open up an 8-1 lead.

The Razorbacks scored two on RBI ground outs by Tschepikow and Logan Forsythe in the top of the fifth inning.

Oklahoma State put the game away with six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning off Chris Rhoads and Stephen Richards. Brian McLelland pitched the nine inning and retired the side on four pitches.