NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Oklahoma State used a two-run rally in the ninth inning to propel the No. 7 Cowboys to a 7-5 victory over top-ranked Vanderbilt and clinch their season-opening series Sunday at Hawkins Field.
OSU (2-1) was led offensively by Griffin Doersching, who was 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run, double and three RBIs, while Jake Thompson also had three hits in four at-bats and drove home the go-ahead run in the ninth.
Trevor Martin picked up the win in relief as the right-hander kept the Commodores off the scoreboard over the final 1 2/3 innings, picking up three strikeouts along the way.
"The kids made a statement. I got to sit and watch, and I liked what I saw," said OSU head coach Josh Holliday. "I'm really proud of the kids. I'm super impressed by the way they responded after Friday night… The last two days we showed character and toughness. Great job by the kids. "It was a heck of a win. When you give the lead back and it's tied, sometimes kids don't know how to respond. Boy did our guys deliver. When you go play the No. 1 team in the country on the road and you can win two out of three, those are strong wins to start the season."
Vandy took the game's initial lead in the opening inning, but the Pokes tied the score in the second on an opposite-field home run by Doersching, his first round-tripper in an OSU uniform. The home team went back on top in the third, but a three-run rally for the Cowboys in the fourth gave them a 4-2 lead. In that inning, Doersching brought home the tying run with a bases-loaded walk, and two batters later, Lyle Miller-Green delivered his first-career hit, a two-RBI single that gave OSU a two-run advantage.
Leading 5-3 in the eighth, OSU saw the Commodores rally to tie the score against reliever Kale Davis, with a Jack Bulger single and a sacrifice fly by Gavin Casas bringing home runs before Martin ended the rally with a strikeout.
In the decisive ninth, Hueston Morrill got things started with a one-out single. Thompson then stepped to the plate and ripped a double down the right-field line to bring Morrill home. Two batters later, Doersching added an insurance run with an RBI double into the left-centerfield gap. Martin retired the Commodores in order in the bottom of the ninth, striking out the final two batters to seal the win.
OSU starter Bryce Osmond worked five strong innings, striking out eight and issuing just one walk. He allowed three runs on four hits. The Cowboys return to action Tuesday when they face Sam Houston at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas
