Once Oklahoma State reached a nine-run cushion through three innings, head coach Josh Holliday remained cautious.
He knew Niagara had a bevy of potent offensive prospects within its lineup, which had produced a .306 team batting average leading into regional play. Although the Cowboys’ held a sizable lead so early in Friday night’s first-round Stillwater Regional matchup against the fourth-seeded Purple Eagles — an eventual 19-7 win for top-seeded OSU – Holliday knew his team had to “keep scoring.”
In the middle innings, with the Niagara closing in on the Cowboys’ (41-17) dwindling lead, OSU couldn’t rely on ace left-hander Sam Garcia, as it had for most of the season.