Painter hits walk-off home run to beat Oklahoma State 5-4

PROVO, Utah – Keoni Painter hit a walk-off, two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to help BYU defeat Oklahoma State 5-4 and take the Big 12 series 2-1 at Miller Park on Saturday afternoon.

Painter, who relieved an injured Crew McChesney in the seventh, came to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the ninth with Ezra McNaughton on second base and the Cougars down one run. Painter then hit a 1-0 fastball over the centerfield wall 402 feet from home plate for the win, earning a gatorade bath.

BYU's lone home run of the day helped the Cougars win the series over the Cowboys 2-1. BYU moved to 13-13 (4-5) on the year after holding Oklahoma State (17-11, 3-6) to four hits with Nate Gray recording six strikeouts over 6.2 innings of work for the win.

Highlights
Keoni Painter: 1-1, HR, 2 RBI
Ezra McNaughton: 3-5, RBI, 3 2B
Luke Anderson: 1-3, RBI, BB, 2B
Ryder Robinson: 1-3, RBI, BB
Nate Gray: 6.2 innings, Win, 6K, 1ER

Summary

After two scoreless innings Oklahoma State got on the scoreboard in the third with a single up the middle followed by a walk, sacrifice fly and another single for the first run. The Cowboys then took a 3-0 lead on another single before the Cougars ended the scoring with Parker Goff throwing out a Cowboy runner trying to steal third. 

Two more scoreless innings ensued before McNaughton hit a ground rule double to deep right field just inside the foul pole in the bottom of the sixth inning. Robinson then singled scoring McNaughton to put the Cougars on the board, 3-1. 

Ryker Schow doubled on a ball that hit the top of the wall before Luke Anderson hit an RBI double down the right field line bringing Schow home in the seventh inning and shrinking the Cowboys lead to 3-2. 

In the top of the eighth inning Oklahoma State hit the first homerun of the day to push its lead to 4-2. 

The Cougars entered the bottom of the ninth down two, despite having doubled the Cowboys in hits with eight. With one out, Anderson was hit by a pitch bringing the tying run to the plate. McNaughton then doubled to left, scoring Anderson from first to pull to within one. After a strikeout left BYU down to its last out, Painter hit a walk-off home run to straight-away center over the 402-foot sign for the 5-4 win.

Up Next

BYU hosts Kansas State in a midweek non-conference matchup at Miller Park on Tuesday, March 31 at 6:00 p.m. MST. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with radio coverage on the BYUradio app, BYUradio.org, BYU Cougars app and in Utah County on BYUradio 107.9 FM.