Published: May 14, 2008 10:32 am            

Bedlam tune-up

• Pokes rout Leathernecks

Tyler Blandford had been searching for any kind of morale boost.

Tuesday may have been just the remedy he needed.

The Oklahoma State sophomore hurled five innings and recorded a career-high nine strikeouts as the 10th-ranked Cowboys crushed Western Illinois, 14-1, in front of 973 fans at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.

Blandford, who made his first midweek start of the season, had been removed from the weekend rotation due to inconsistency throughout the year. He walked the first batter he faced Tuesday on four straight pitches, but responded by fanning the next four hitters in a row.

Though he allowed four walks, the Owensboro, Ky., native gave up just two hits and one run to improve to 4-4.

“I wanted to get (Blandford) through five (innings) because I wanted to get him a win,” said OSU coach Frank Anderson. “I thought that was important for him and us.”

Blandford added, “(Tuesday) helped me build a lot of confidence. I knew I just needed to get through the first two innings, and I felt like I was on cruise control from there.”

Run support certainly wasn’t a concern for Blandford.

Senior Matt Hague put the Cowboys (38-14) on the board in the bottom of the first with a solo home run, and they extended their lead to 7-0 in the fourth courtesy of solo homers by freshman Dean Green and senior Rebel Ridling, a two-run blast by junior Luis Flores and Green’s two-RBI single.

O-State — which posted six round-trippers — added four more runs in the sixth including Hague’s two-run double. The Leathernecks (18-28), who went through eight pitchers, recorded their lone run in the fifth off an RBI single by Cole Waddell.

“I wasn’t sure how we’d play (Tuesday) after a big weekend (against Texas Tech),” Anderson said. “I was really proud and I thought we played very well. We kind of did it in a workman-like fashion.”

Five Cowboy seniors — Matt Gardner, Hague, Josh Neal, Ridling and Robbie Weinhardt — were honored prior to the contest. Three of the five competed in the game with Ridling going 3-for-4 with two homers and a double, Hague going 2-for-3 and Neal pitching the final inning.

“That’s a good way to go out,” Ridling said.

Anderson added, “Everybody was wanting Gardner to hit, and I said, ‘There’s no way.’ I’d love to do that but if he got hurt and didn’t get to pitch, I’d never forgive myself.”

Green went 2-for-4 with a career-high four RBIs, freshman Thomas Belza went 3-for-4 with a double and junior Donnie Webb went 2-for-4.

In the last four innings on the mound, Joe Kent, Jeff Breedlove and Neal combined to allow no runs, no walks and only one hit.

The Cowboys close the regular season this weekend when they face Bedlam rival Oklahoma. Friday’s contest is set for 7:30 p.m. at Tulsa’s Drillers Stadium and will be televised on Fox Sports Southwest.

The series shifts to Oklahoma City’s Bricktown Ballpark on Saturday and Sunday.

“It’s a great rivalry weekend and to me, I think it’s the best one there is in college baseball right now,” Anderson said.

        

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