Oklahoma State first baseman Dustin Williams looked lost against TCU pitching all night, going hitless in his first five plate appearences.
But the sophomore from Weatherford found his way at the right time as he hit the game-winning home run off closer Riley Ferrell (0-1) in the 12th inning at Lupton Stadium late Friday night.
TCU (16-3, 3-1) rallied back twice to tie the Cowboys (15-6, 1-0) but it wasn’t enough for the Horned Frogs, as they fell 7-6.
It was TCU’s third 7-6 loss of the season, and the second of which these three that took extra innings.
OSU head coach Josh Holliday said he was proud of how his team stayed in the game and won the game despite TCU’s two rallies.
“When you get ahead on the road and the home team comes back and ties you up, sometimes that’s an emotional swing and it’s hard to overcome,” Holliday said. “Obviously there was a big swing of the bat by Dustin there.”
TCU got out in front early in the 1st inning on an Evan Skoug RBI groundout. Then Garrett Crain followed with an RBI sacrifice fly.
The first inning runs were all that Oklahoma State starter Jon Perrin (2-2) gave up until the seventh inning.
Mitchell Traver started for the Frogs and went five innings giving up two hits and one earned run. However, Traver had control issues with a costly error and four walks.
The error led to the second Cowboy run of the night and sparked a three-run sixth inning.
Head coach Jim Schlossnagle said Traver didn’t have his best command in the series opener.
“Obviously [Traver] didn’t have his best stuff tonight and he still kept us in the game but that was a big play in the ball game,” Schlossnagle said.
But the Frogs battled back in the seventh inning on the heels of a two-run blast to right field from senior center fielder Cody Jones.
After Connor Wanhanen singled and stole second base, senior third baseman Derek Odell hit an RBI single to tie the game at five.
Oklahoma State wasted no time responding in the eighth inning after a Jacob Chappell two-out RBI single scored Corey Hassel to put the Cowboys up 6-5.
It would take a ninth inning rally from TCU to send the game into extra innings.
Jeremie Fagnan led the inning off with a single and advanced to second on a fielder’s choice by Dane Steinhagen.
Then Jones came through again delivering an RBI triple to left field. He finished the game 2-3 with three RBI’s.
But the Frogs would fail to capitalize with the winning run on third. Pinch-hitter Elliott Barzilli struck out swinging and Odell popped out to end the inning.
Both teams traded opportunities in the tenth and eleventh innings until Williams’ blast proved to be the difference.
Gage Green and Conor Costello also added home runs for Oklahoma State in the extra inning win.
Ferrell struck out five batters over two innings but left a fastball over the plate for Williams who smashed it off the right field scoreboard.
Pitcher Koda Glover (1-2) notched the win after striking out Keaton Jones to end the game. He finished with two innings of work and two strikeouts.
