Defensive lapses doom Cowboys in 12-2 run-rule loss to Arkansas
Missed opportunities, costly fifth inning sink Cowboys in season opener
ARLINGTON, Texas — Josh Holliday stood along the third base line, staring off into the distance.
The Oklahoma State coach, now in his 14th season at the helm, took a moment to reflect before addressing reporters adjacent to the visitor’s dugout. On the outside, he appeared calm and poised. But his facial expression illustrated everything following OSU’s 12-2 run-rule loss to No. 7 Arkansas on Friday at Globe Life Field to open play in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown.
“Like I told these guys, any time we didn’t do something clean, we paid for it,” Holliday said. “(Arkansas) has a good ballclub. They have a good, deep lineup, but we’ve got to be able to be clean to beat a lineup like that.”
Holliday’s synopsis was precise.
Any opportunity the Cowboys (0-1) had to level, if not overcome the precarious elements that a lineup to the caliber of Arkansas’ presents. But when it mattered, OSU’s overall efficiency wavered, and its lack of cleanliness defensively came costly.
Arkansas drew first blood in the bottom of the first off a two-run, 428-foot moonshot to left field off OSU ace lefty Hudson Barrett. Two innings later, Helfrick added further damage with a solo blast to dead center on a line to make it 3-0 Arkansas.
Barrett settled in, striking out six while surrendering only four hits. Barrett showcased why his transfer to OSU from UC-Santa Barbara over the offseason was so heralded, utilizing a steady balance of sinker and changeup to keep the Razorbacks’ (1-0) offense at bay.
That allowed OSU’s offense to briefly find its footing. In the top of the fifth, sophomore designated hitter Garrett Shull launched a two-run blast to right field off a hanging curveball from Arkansas ace right-hander Gabe Gaeckle to make it 3-2.
The Cowboys logged quality, lengthy at-bats, ballooning Gaeckle’s pitch count creating wear-and-tear to gradually piece together base hits. At times, an OSU win didn’t appear too far-fetched.
Until the bottom of the fifth.
Barrett was chased after walking Razorback second baseman Cam Kozeal to load the bases with one out. In came sophomore right-hander Stormy Rhodes, but to no avail.
Instead, the inning unraveled.
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Arkansas center fielder Maika Niu scorched a ball toward the infield dirt that ate up Avery Ortiz at shortstop for an RBI-infield single. One at-bat later, Kuhio Aloy broke it open, lifting an elevated fastball from Rhodes into shallow right field for a 2-RBI single.
“We didn’t close the inning out,” Holliday said. “They did a good job behind that with a big base hit.
“They made us pay.”
From that point on, Arkansas sat on cruise control.
Arkansas scored three more runs in the bottom of the seventh. One inning later, Niu finalized the run-rule victory with a three-run blast into the visitor’s bullpen in right field.
As momentum trended away from the Cowboys, every calamitous element that could snowball in the Razorbacks’ favor did.
After Gaeckle departed in the top of the fifth, sophomore left-hander Cole Gibler neutralized OSU’s lineup, striking out six while surrendering no hits and only one walk over the latter 3 2/3 innings. Overall, OSU finished with 15 strikeouts to just four hits in what was the largest Opening Day loss for the Cowboys under Holliday.
“We just didn’t show up and play the way that we needed to in order to win this game,” Holliday said. “We’ve got to be better in certain situations and clean up some things. And if we can do that, I think we’ve got a chance to have a good season.”
The road ahead doesn’t ease up for Holliday’s team.
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The Cowboys have a clash with Bedlam rival Oklahoma on Saturday at 3 p.m. before rounding off the weekend against No. 23 Vanderbilt on Sunday at 10 a.m.
The college baseball season is lengthy. Talented teams being dominated on Opening Weekend, only to progress and strengthen throughout the regular season and display an enhanced product come May has been a commonality within the sport in years past. Such has been the case with OSU so often throughout Holliday’s tenure.
But the tandem of Gaeckle and Gibler were dominant enough on Friday. And better pitching awaits the Cowboys over the weekend’s course.
“A team like that, if you give them any sort of room, they’re going to exploit it and they’re just gonna take off and run with it,” Shull said. “We failed at (not doing that) and we kind of matched that today. But that’s baseball. There are 60 more baseball games this season to play.
“This is Day 1. It’s not how we wanted it to go, but there’s so much time to make up down the stretch."
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