OSU drops series opener against BYU with 6-5 loss in extra innings

The moment of bat-to-ball contact, Noah Wech’s facial expression said it all.

The end result was apparent, and all Wech could do was watch as the ball sailed off the bat of BYU’s Ethan Jones, deep into the Provo night sky. The ball carried, and carried, eventually clearing the left-field wall and sending the home crowd into a frenzy. All while the visitor’s dugout was struck with utter silence. 

Despite three quality innings of work from Oklahoma State’s closer, one swing changed the game, and ultimately finalized the outcome.

Jones’ two-out walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th lifted BYU over OSU 6-5 in extra innings on Thursday at Miller Park. Despite garnering an early advantage and remaining in control for most of the contest, the Cowboys (16-10, 2-5 Big 12) faltered over the latter innings. The Cougars (12-12, 3-4 Big 12) steadily clawed their way back into the game. Which set up Jones’ decisive, game-ending swing. 

Here are three takeaways from the game. 

Offensive stagnancy down the stretch comes costly

The Cowboys’ offense erupted in the first inning, poised to cruise to a series-opening win.

Instead, a loss unfolded in similar fashion. And it was a product of issues that have been recurrent for most of the season. 

Shortstop Brock Thompson logged a one-out double, before third baseman Aidan Meola batted him in with an RBI double in between the left-center field gap, drawing first blood for OSU. The Cowboys plated three runs off four hits and a walk, cruising to a 3-0 lead through the first and chasing BYU starter Justis Reiser after only two innings of work.

But as high as the Cowboys were riding early on, they came crashing down equally as quickly. 

The Cougars benefitted from a seven-inning relief effort from right-hander Garrison Sumner, who struck out 10 OSU batters. OSU posted only four hits and two runs over the latter eight offensive frames. That allowed the Cougars to find their footing offensively, and eventually, deliver the decisive blow in the bottom of the ninth.  

Treacherous latter innings doom Cowboys

Noah Wech had firmly cemented himself as OSU’s closer entering the series opener.

The sophomore right-hander had logged four saves and boasted a 2.08 ERA leading in. More importantly, he had displayed substantial improvement in an array of areas in comparison to his freshman season — pitch command, delivery and fastball velocity. 

Yet, even the best arms cross bad luck. Wech experienced that firsthand Thursday.

The Cowboys nursed a 5-4 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth. Then chaos transpired.

Down to his last strike, BYU’s Tualau Wolfgramm recorded an infield single to keep the Cougars’ alive. On the ensuing at-bat, Luke Anderson hit a slicing ball which narrowly evaded the glove of TP Wentworth in right field for a game-tying RBI triple, sending the game into extra innings.

One inning later, Provo Magic unfolded. Ethan Jones launched a walk-off solo blast that cleared the left-field wall and sent the Cowboys out of Miller Park in pure anguish.  

Three outs had separated OSU from a win in Game 1. Instead, three swings drastically altered its fate and handed OSU a gut-wrenching series-opening defeat.

Lund’s rollercoaster start

There was a mixture of good and bad Ethan Lund’s seventh start of his sophomore campaign.

His strikeout numbers were up to par, logging his fourth double-digit strikeout game this season. Simultaneously, such outings are to be expected from the crafty southpaw at this point.

That wasn't a surprise.

The element of surprise centers around fatigue and pitch command issues displayed toward the middle innings of Lund's outing. After retiring 12 of his first 14 batters faced, Lund surrendered five hits and a walk over the fifth and sixth innings. Slowly but surely, BYU clawed its way back from a 5-1 deficit, trimming OSU’s lead to one run by the time Lund exited the mound.

Lund — 11 strikeouts, six hits, two walks and four earned runs — has been a bright spot within an inconsistency, albeit young OSU pitching staff thus far. Cowboys’ coach Josh Holliday raved about Lund’s progression from last season throughout the fall, and he’s only echoed such sentiments so far this year.

Lund struggled with command through his first two starts, allowing 11 combined walks. He showed improvement in that area, surrendering only eight over his next four. And while his walk total wasn't substantial on Thursday, the aforementioned pitch command issues were at times as simple as a missed location. That, in turn, led to BYU's hitting barrage late in Lund's start.

Subpar outings transpire on occasion, even to the best pitchers. But at this juncture, OSU can’t afford midseason regression from a prospect to the caliber of Lund’s. Holliday and Co. can only hope Thursday was an isolated incident, especially with ace lefty Hudson Barrett progressing through rehab from arm soreness. Otherwise, larger issue could await the Cowboys in the long run.