OSU beats Texas State to claim series victory

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS — Oklahoma State edged Texas State 6-5 Sunday to capture its first series of the season.

Andrew Rosa led the Cowboys’ offense with a 3-for-4 day, while former Edmond Memorial standout Colin Simpson homered for the second time this season and drove in three runs. Joe Lienhard earned the win on the mound and Carson Teel collected his first save of the season.

It was the second straight game that OSU’s starting pitcher failed to make it out of the second inning. Making his collegiate debut, left hander Mitchell Stone allowed three runs on five hits in the second frame before being replaced by Lienhard.

Lienhard got two key outs as the Cowboys (2-1) escaped the second inning trailing 3-1.

In the third, Simpson crushed a three-run homer over the right-field wall and OSU took a 4-3 lead.

OSU extended its lead in the next inning after junior transfer Matt Kroon hit his first RBI as a Cowboy with a two-out double off the wall in center field to give the Pokes a 5-3 advantage.

After the Bobcats (1-2) trimmed the deficit to one in the bottom of the fourth, OSU answered with a run in the sixth. Rosa scored Trevor Boone on an RBI single to give the Cowboys a 6-4 edge.

Right handers Reza Aleaziz and C.J. Varela each tossed two scoreless innings for OSU and bridged the gap between Lienhard and Teel.

Teel worked the final two frames and struck out four to earn the save.