STILLWATER, Okla. — South Dakota State rallied to tie the game with five runs in the top of the ninth inning, but Oklahoma State’s Campbell Smithwick hit a walk-off home run to lead off the bottom of the frame for a 12-11 Cowboy victory in a nonconference baseball game full of twists and turns Wednesday at O’Brate Stadium.
OSU improved to 14-7 overall. The Jackrabbits fell to 5-16 overall, including a 1-7 mark in one-run games so far this season.
Trailing 11-6 entering the ninth, Carter Taylor started the Jackrabbit rally with a single to left field. After pinch-hitter Travis Finney was hit by a pitch, Grant Sorensen plated Taylor with a single to center field for the first run of the inning. Luke Wroblewski followed with a solid single to left field to load the bases and Keagen Jirschele pulled SDSU to within 11-9 with a two-run single through the left side.
After the first of two Cowboy pitching changes in the inning, Wroblewski made it a one-run game as he scored on a groundout off the bat of Nolan Grawe. With the Jackrabbits down to their last strike with Nic Werk batting, Jirschele scored the tying run on a wild pitch.
The momentum would be short-lived, however, as Smithwick drove a full-count pitch from SDSU reliever Austin Henry over the fence in right field for the game-winning home run. It was Smithwick’s second home run of the season, with the other a walk-off round-tripper March 10 against Dallas Baptist.
Oklahoma State had erased a 5-0 Jackrabbit lead with a 10-run bottom of the fifth in which it sent 14 men to the plate against four different pitchers. The Cowboys collected seven of their 11 hits for the game in the inning, highlighted by a two-run pinch-hit double by Smithwick, as well as a two-run single by Brock Thompson and a two-run triple by Aidan Meola.
SDSU built its early lead by scoring in four consecutive innings, starting with a run in the second as Luke Jones led off with a single and later scored on a groundout by Wroblewski. Jones drove in Grawe with a base hit in the third inning and Werk delivered a two-out run-scoring single an inning later after a Cowboy error extended the inning.
Mason Lang accounted for the next three Jackrabbit runs with a two-run single in the fifth inning and solo home run to lead off the seventh. Oklahoma State countered with an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth.
The Jackrabbits held a 14-11 advantage in hits, with Werk leading the offensive attack with a 3-for-4 day at the plate. Taylor, Jones and Lang each added two hits.
Smithwick, Thompson and Meola each tallied a pair of hits for Oklahoma State.
Jaren Vogt pitched two-plus scoreless innings as the Jackrabbit starter. Jacob Sjuts rebounded from taking the loss in Tuesday’s game with 2 1/3 solid innings of relief in which he struck out two while allowing one unearned run.
Oklahoma State reliever Kyler Zagar retired the only hitter he faced in the top of the ninth and was credited with the victory. Cowboy starter TP Wentworth was charged with two runs after walking five and allowing two hits. He also struck out four batters.
ON DECK
The Jackrabbits are scheduled to play their home opener Friday afternoon against Summit League rival North Dakota State. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Erv Huether Field.
NOTES
- Oklahoma State leads the all-time series, 16-1, and has won the last four meetings
- Seven of the Jackrabbits’ last 10 games have been decided by one run (1-6 record)
- SDSU’s 14 hits tied a season high, matching their total in both games of a series Feb. 17 and 18 at Incarnate Word
- Werk reached base nine times in 10 plate appearances (4 hits, 5 walks) in the two-game series
- Werk’s three hits were a career high
- Lang’s home run was his first at the collegiate level and he became the ninth different Jackrabbit to homer this season
- Grawe made his first career start at first base
- Eight different Jackrabbits saw mound duty in the game