OSU Cowboys' Amazing Ninth-Inning Rally Fuels Victory Over Sun Devils

Entering the ninth inning, the Oklahoma State baseball team looked done. Six runs later, the Cowboys’ red-hot run continued.

Oklahoma State rallied from three runs down with a six-run ninth inning and then held on to beat the Arizona State Sun Devils, 9-6, at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Friday. The Cowboys have won seven straight Big 12 games and eight of their last nine contests. But little could have prepared anyone for OSU’s comeback.

The Sun Devils put three runs on the Cowboys in the top of the ninth and Oklahoma State pulled out every stop to rally.

Oklahoma State’s Incredible Rally

POKES ON TOP!!!

Soup delivers in the desert#GoPokes | @campbellrsoup pic.twitter.com/DLRnnaFp4o
— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) May 9, 2026

It started with a Colin Brueggemann double with one out. The Cowboys put Brady Francisco in the game to pinch-run and put in Avery Ortiz to pinch-hit against Sun Devils reliever Derek Schaefer. His wild pitch allowed Francisco to advance to third and Ortiz reached on a fielder’s choice to score Brady. An error allowed Ortiz to get on base and advance to second.

Remo Indomenico came into pinch-run for Ortiz and he moved to third on Alex Conover’s single. Brock Thompson hit a sacrifice fly to score Indomenico, cutting the lead to 6-5. But Arizona State had two outs on OSU and a chance to close out after intentionally walking Kollin Ritchie.

The Cowboys made the Sun Devils pay for that. Aidan Meola doubled home Conover to the tie game. Then, Campbell Smithwick hit his eighth home run of the season, a three-run shot, that broke the tie and pushed the Cowboys into the lead.

Cowboys reliever Mario Pesca retired the side in the bottom of the ninth to clinch the win.

Arizona State took the lead in the eighth inning. Facing Cowboys reliever Hudson Barrett, the Sun Devils got two runners on with one out after a walk by Dean Toigo, a sacrifice bunt by Austen Roellig and a double by Dominic Smaldino. OSU challenged the call at third base when Toigo advanced, but the safe call was upheld.

The Arizona State cashed in. Matt Polk singled to the gap in right-center to score both Toigo and Smaldino. Polk stole second and, following a Coen Niclai strikeout, Brody Briggs drove in Polk with a single.

Oklahoma State and Arizona State were tied, 3-3, after three innings but took different routes to get there. The Sun Devils bunched their runs in the first inning, as Dominic Smaldino drove in two runs with a triple and Matt Polk singled home the other run.

The Cowboys scored a run in each of the first three innings. Ritchie had an RBI single in the first inning. Garrett Shull hit a solo home run in the second inning and Deacon Pomeroy tied the game in the third with an RBI groundout that scored Ritchie.

Cowboys left-hander Ethan Lund settled down after the first inning and got them through five innings, giving up five hits and two walks as he struck out six. Noah Wech pitched an inning of scoreless relief before handing the ball to Barrett, who was in line for the loss until the ninth inning. He ended up with the win (5-1) while Pesca got his first save.

Arizona State starter Cole Carlon took the no-decision but gave the Sun Devils seven innings, giving up four hits and four walks while he struck out 11. He gave up the first three Cowboys runs. Schaefer (1-2) took the loss.

Conover and Ritchie each had two hits for OSU. Smithwick had three RBI. Smaldino led Arizona State with three hits while Polk had three RBI.

TCU at Oklahoma State

Where: Phoenix Municipal Stadium

Schedule, Results

Game 1: Oklahoma State 9, Arizona State 6

Game 2: 8 p.m. CT Saturday, ESPN2

Game 3: 3 p.m. CT Sunday, ESPN+

Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (93.7 KSPI-FM) and The Varsity Network App (okla.state/GetVarsity)

Records: Oklahoma State, 32-17 (15-10 in Big 12); Arizona State, 33-16 (16-9)

Add us as a preferred source on Google