OSU Baseball's season ends in heartbreak

HEARTBREAK.

After a dominant 12-1 win over USC Upstate earlier in the day to reach the Tuscaloosa Regional final, Oklahoma State's season came to a crushing end Sunday night. The Cowboys fell 9-7 in 11 innings to host Alabama, ending their postseason run one game short of forcing a winner-take-all matchup on Monday.

The Cowboys showed plenty of fight throughout the night. Trailing 5-3 entering the eighth inning, Oklahoma State stormed back to take a 6-5 lead thanks to back-to-back home runs from Brock Thompson and Kollin Ritchie. The pair helped power another strong offensive performance, as the Cowboys finished with four home runs.

Oklahoma State had multiple opportunities to take control of the game but couldn't come up with the big hit. The Cowboys loaded the bases in both the eighth and ninth innings yet failed to add to their lead. Alex Conover, who went a combined 0-for-9 in Sunday's two games, stranded runners in the eighth, while Hagan Banks struck out with the bases loaded in the ninth.

Those missed opportunities proved costly.

After a scoreless 10th inning, Alabama finally broke through in the 11th. Brady Neal delivered a three-run home run to give the Crimson Tide a 9-6 advantage and put Oklahoma State's season on the brink.

The Cowboys, designated as the home team despite playing on Alabama's field, still had one final chance in the bottom of the inning.

They nearly made it interesting.

Garrett Shull drove in a run with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 9-7, but that would be as close as Oklahoma State would get. The Cowboys finished the regional just 1-for-10 with the bases loaded, a statistic that ultimately defined their weekend.

The loss ends Oklahoma State's season at 39-22. The Cowboys entered postseason play with momentum after winning four consecutive conference series and finishing near the top of the Big 12 standings, earning a No. 2 seed in the Tuscaloosa Regional.

That momentum never fully carried over into the NCAA Tournament. An opening-round upset loss to USC Upstate forced Oklahoma State into the loser's bracket, requiring back-to-back elimination-game victories just to reach the regional final.

The defeat also marks the end of Oklahoma State careers for seniors Aidan Meola, Colin Brueggeman, Brennan Phillips, Drew Blake, and Mario Pesca. Their contributions helped fuel the Cowboys' success throughout the season and nearly carried Oklahoma State back from the brink multiple times during its regional run.

In the end, the Cowboys had the tying run at the plate, the opportunities were there, and the fight never disappeared. But one hit short too many brought the season to a close in Tuscaloosa.