SURPRISE, Ariz. (Interstat) — Hudson Barrett pitched five innings of one-run ball, and Oklahoma State used a six-run eighth inning to break a fifth-inning tie and defeat UCF 12-6 on Thursday in a Big 12 matchup at Surprise Stadium.

Barrett, who had allowed a combined five earned runs over 5.1 innings in his previous two starts, bounced back by allowing no hits and striking out four. He surrendered only one earned run, thanks to two Oklahoma State errors that led to three unearned runs in the fifth. Barrett left with a 5-1 lead after the top of the fifth, but UCF rallied in the bottom half to tie the game.

The Knights’ Javier Crespo delivered the game’s biggest blow, a three-run homer to left field in the fifth inning that tied the score at 5. Crespo finished 2 for 5 with four RBIs, raising his season home run total to five. Zak Skinner contributed a run-scoring double earlier in the inning, and UCF capitalized on a fielding error by second baseman Gaskin and a throwing error by shortstop Shull to erase a four-run deficit.

Oklahoma State answered emphatically in the eighth. Brock Thompson doubled through the right side, and after an intentional walk to Landon Ritchie, Meola walked to force in a run. Smithwick’s sacrifice fly scored Thompson, and Colin Brueggemann followed with a three-run single to right center, scoring Ritchie, Meola, and Ortiz. Brueggemann finished 2 for 3 with four RBIs.

Alex Conover tripled in the ninth to drive in Wallace and later scored on a caught-stealing play. Thompson had two hits and an RBI. Conover also had two hits and an RBI.

Mario Pesca relieved Barrett and worked three innings, allowing one earned run on no hits while striking out four. Noah Wech pitched a scoreless ninth, stranding two runners to close the game.

UCF’s Max Murray threw 2.2 scoreless innings of relief, striking out four, but the Knights could not contain the Cowboys’ 12-hit attack. UCF had 10 hits, including two from Crespo and a double from Luke Gaskin. UCF reliever Anthony Lariz allowed one run while striking out two in the ninth.

Oklahoma State improved to 37-19 overall, while UCF fell to 31-21. The game was the first meeting between the teams since UCF swept a three-game series in March at Orlando.

The Cowboys took an early lead in the first inning when Conover singled and later scored on a single by Smithwick. UCF tied it in the bottom half on a fielder’s choice by Crespo. Oklahoma State regained the lead in the fourth on a run-scoring single by Shull and an RBI single by Thompson, then added two runs in the fifth on a bunt single and a sacrifice fly.

The turning point came in the bottom of the fifth when UCF tied the game, but Oklahoma State’s bullpen limited the Knights to one run over the final four innings. Pesca and Wech combined to allow one earned run while striking out four.

Barrett’s outing was his longest since early April and provided a lift to a rotation that had struggled in recent weeks.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected an 8-5 Oklahoma State victory, and the Interstat ELO system gave the Cowboys a 60.20 percent probability to win. Oklahoma State entered as a pregame favorite with a spread of plus-1.5.