The Oklahoma State Cowboys defeated the Arizona Wildcats 1-0 in game two of the winner’s bracket Monday night in Omaha. For Oklahoma State, they have won back-to-back games in shut out fashion.
Coiming into the game
Coming into the game, both Arizona and Oklahoma State were tied for sixth for most wins in the College World Series history. Arizona was coming off their 5-1 victory over the No. 3 ranked Miami Hurricanes, while Oklahoma State shut out UC Santa Barbara.
Lightning in the area along with light rain caused a delay. After two hours and 21 minutes the game was ready to get underway.
The Wildcats would start Bobby Dalbec. Dalbec was terrific his last outing, going 8 2/3 innings, striking out nine, and gave up five hits. For Oklahoma State, they would send out Tyler Buffett to the mound.
Oklahoma States’ Tyler Buffett had the advantage in the pitcher’s duel, pitching eight strong innings of three hit baseball. Buffett struck out six and walk two. Dalbec would turn in another great start for the Wildcats also going eight strong innings, striking out a career high 12 batters, walking just one batter on five hits.
Dalbec ran into trouble in the fourth. Cowboys shortstop Donnie Walton started the inning with a leadoff double. Third baseman Garrett Benge followed up with an RBI single. Conor Costello got on after being hit by a pitch. Dalbec managed to get out of the inning by striking out Dustin Williams, getting Ryan Sluder to pop up to first, and stuck out Jon Littell, leaving the score 1-0.
Dalbec settled down in the fifth, striking out the first two batters he faced and got Oklahoma State’s Corey Hassel to line out to third. Cameron Ming would have a 1, 2,3 inning of relief in the ninth.
The Wildcats could not string together any offense to help out their starter. They failed to get their leadoff hitter on base throughout the entire game. They left runners on base in the first, third, and fifth innings. All three of the Wildcats hits were singles. Not having Dalbec’s bat would ultimately hurt the Wildcats.
Two controversial plays would occur in the bottom of the eight and ninth innings. In the bottom of the eighth, Arizona’s Louis Boyd would ground into an inning ending double play, but it appeared that Oklahoma State first baseman Dustin Williams foot was off the bag. The umpires would not gather for talk it out. In the bottom of the ninth, Zach Gibbons grounded out to third, but once again Dustin Williams foot appeared to be off the bag. The umpires would gather for the decision and overturned the call, Gibbons would be safe. But, the very next batter would ground out to first to end the game.
What's next?
The Cowboys will be off until Friday and will face the winner of the elimination game that will be played on Wednesday. The Wildcats will face UC Santa Barbara, which eliminated the No. 3 seed Miami earlier Monday.