· OSU last won consecutive CWS games in 1993, knocking off Arizona State and Texas.
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There’s no hotter team in college baseball right now than the Oklahoma State Cowboys, as the Pokes are undefeated since the start of the NCAA Tournament and are coming off two straight 1-0 wins in the College World Series.
The game was delayed 2 hours, 21 minutes because of lightning in the area. Buffett, whose grandfather is a cousin of billionaire Warren Buffett, held Arizona to three hits in eight innings in a 1-0 victory over the Wildcats. Both lasted eight innings before turning over the ninth to their bullpens.
Buffett got a big hand from his defense.
Arizona began its odyssey with losses in its first two games at Oregon.
“That’s huge, before I even throw, when the offense puts up three”, Bannister said. “We have been long committed to playing future football games against some of the nation’s finest non-conference opponents every year”.
The Cowboys (43-20) scored the game’s only run in the fourth inning.
OSU provided the lone run of the game in the top of the fourth when shortstop Donnie Walton led off the inning with a double over the head of Wildcat leftfielder Alfonso Rivas. He posted strikeouts six and seven and got Sluder to pop out to first base.
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. Tyler Buffett was outstanding.
Buffett continued to keep the Wildcats at bay, notching his fifth and sixth strikeouts in the bottom of the sixth. At 42-20 overall, the Cowboys are hitting their stride at the right time.
Arizona starter Bobby Dalbec followed by hitting Conor Costello with the first pitch of the designated hitter’s at-bat, giving the Pokes a pair of baserunners with no outs. It was flagged down by Zach Gibbons on the warning track.
Arizona’s early rally all started with a few walks and a hit batsman before Jared Oliva hit a two-run single to make it 3-0. He was making his school-record 36th appearance.
“We are proud to announce this series with Oklahoma State”, said Vice President of Athletics Ray Anderson in a release. His teammates played great defense behind him. Cameron Ming would have a 1, 2,3 inning of relief in the ninth.
Junior Trey Cobb came on to pitch the ninth for the Cowboys.
If Dalbec had a flaw, it was retiring leadoff batters.
After a diving snag at third by Benge, he fired to first in time for what looked to be an out – but the first base umpire called him safe, which led to a visit from Josh Holliday. But after the umpires huddled, Gibbons was ruled out. “It was one of the best plays I’ve ever seen”.
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Replays appeared to show Williams sliding his foot back a little to touch the bag.
