STILLWATER, Okla. – Two strong innings at the plate for Oklahoma State was all the Cowboys needed Friday to claim a 9-0 win over Prairie View A&M in the opener of a three-game series.
 
Garrett Benge's sacrifice fly in the third inning that was dropped provided the game-winning RBI, and Conor Costello's bases-loaded double immediately after gave the No. 14 Cowboys a lead they would not relinquish.
 
Thomas Hatch pitched a two-hit shutout for Oklahoma State (29-15), the second-place team in the Big 12 Conference. Hatch struck out 11 Panthers while not issuing a walk en route to the complete game.
 
Starting pitcher Darrien Williams took the loss for the Panthers, giving up seven earned runs over five and one-thirds innings. Williams walked five and struck out three batters.
 
Phillip Gay (pictured) pitched the final two and two-thirds innings for PVAMU (10-31), allowing only a single unearned run that came home on an error to cap a five-run inning in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Hatch was perfect through six innings, retiring the first 18 batters he faced. Nick Gurka's leadoff single in the top of the seventh broke up the no-hit bid, which was followed by a single from Kevin Macias. After Hatch struck out the next batter, the Cowboys snuffed the PVAMU rally with a inning-ending double play.
 
The Panthers and Cowboys resume their series Saturday at 3 p.m.