Cowboys See UCLA Steal the Ballpark Rhythm in Frisco, McCusker HR a Highlight
FRISCO, Texas -- The sky was as blue as the UCLA Bruins uniform tops and let it be known, blue wound up being the color of the day for the unbeaten team from California and blue was the mood afterwards for the Cowboys. No. 8 UCLA scored five runs in the first two innings off Oklahoma State starter and left-hander Parker Scott and the Bruins starter Zach Pettway had command throughout most of his seven innings of work to help keep UCLA unbeaten with an 8-1 win. It is that one run for the Cowboys that could pay some dividends the rest of the weekend.
The Cowboys had won six games in a row coming into the Frisco College Baseball Classic, but UCLA started the game with left-handed hitter Garrett Mitchell driving a ball to right field and using his speed for a double. After a sacrifice bunt moved Mitchell to third, shortstop Matt McLain got hold of a Scott fastball and drove it to right field in the gap for another double scoring Mitchell to make it 1-0. After a Scott got out number two with a strike out of another hot left-handed batt in J.T. Schwartz, catcher Noah Cardenas doubled to the wall in left field scoring McLain for a 2-0 lead.
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The Bruins came back in the top of the second as nine hole hitter and second baseman Mickey Perez one-out double down the left-field line into the corner allowed Pat Caulfield, who had singled to score all the way from first. Perez moved to third on the attempt to get Caulfield at home plate. Mitchell came back up and doubled to right again scoring Perez. Mitchell would make it 5-0 later on a sacrifice fly by Schwartz.
"The game didn't have a good rhythm to it early and Scott wasn't able to pitch with rhythm. You have to give them credit as they hit those first two pretty well to right field," Oklahoma State head coach Josh Holliday said to the media after the contest. "We needed to get something done in the middle innings to get back into it. Parker pitched well in the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, and he kind of said, 'guys here's a chance,' but we weren't able to get anything across. It was that kind of game."
Scott got his rhythm back and pitched well going six innings and holding the Bruins to the five runs on eight hits. Scott picked up his first loss of the season. Pettway got his second win of the season to go 2-0. He allowed just two hits, walked one, and struck out four Cowboys.
Oklahoma State did get the bases loaded in the third inning with left fielder Carson McCusker and shortstop Hueston Morrill getting back to back singles and then Kaden Polcovish drew a walk, but third baseman Jake Thompson flied out to left-field to end the threat.
The Bruins touched the Cowboys bullpen for a walk and three singles in the seventh inning to push the lead to 8-0.
That's when the single best thing of the day happened for the Pokes as McCusker, with two strikes, stayed with the eighth inning at bat and the 6-8, 235-pounder got all of it on his swing and put it over the 364 sign in the left field gap and into the lawn seats of Dr. Pepper Park. It was the only home run of the game on a day where home runs weren't going to come easy.
"I just tried to battle with two strikes and get on base for my team," McCusker said after the game. "A pitch showed up that I was able to put a good swing on."
A really good swing, best swing of the day for either side.
"I agree with you," Holliday said of McCusker being able to use the home run for momentum. "He got a good swing on that pitch and he had good swings in our last game in Stillwater before coming here. I can see in his face he feels good about what he is doing."
McCusker is famous for getting on a roll. His sophomore season he clobbered three home runs against TCU in a doubleheader sweep and that propelled him to a strong Big 12 season hitting .314 in conference play with six home runs and 11 RBIs. Last season McCusker hit .311 with 17 doubles an was honorable mention All-Big 12. He was preseason All-Big 12 this season but came in hitting just .212 and went two-for-three with the homer.
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Oklahoma State is now 7-3 after the 8-1 loss to the Bruins. Oklahoma State plays Illinois at 2 p.m. on Saturday in the Dr. Pepper Ballpark and the Cowboys are expected to start freshman right-hander Justin Campbell (0-1, 9.00 ERA) on the hill against the Fighting Illini.