TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (Interstat) — Oklahoma State pounded out 12 hits and cruised to a 12-1 victory over South Carolina Upstate on Sunday in an NCAA tournament elimination game at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.

The Cowboys, the visiting team, improved to 39-21 while the Spartans fell to 34-30.

Oklahoma State starter Hudson Barrett and the bullpen held South Carolina Upstate to five hits and one run. The Cowboys scored in five separate innings, with the decisive outburst coming in the third when they plated six runs.

After a scoreless first inning for both sides, Oklahoma State broke through in the second. Avery Ortiz singled to left field and Campbell Smithwick followed with a two-run homer to right field, putting the Cowboys ahead 2-0.

The Cowboys blew the game open in the third. With one out, Thompson singled and Ritchie singled, putting runners at first and third. Ortiz then crushed a three-run homer to left field, scoring Ritchie and Thompson to make it 5-0. Smithwick singled, and after a mound visit, Brueggemann doubled to right center to drive in Smithwick. Shull walked, and with two outs, Remo Indomenico launched a three-run homer to left center, scoring Shull and Brueggemann to push the lead to 11-0.

Oklahoma State added a run in the fourth when Smithwick hit his second homer of the game, a solo shot to left field. The Cowboys tacked on two more in the seventh on a solo homer by Indomenico to right center and a solo homer by Terrance Bowen to left field.

Barrett pitched seven innings, allowing no runs on three hits while striking out eight. He was replaced by Kyler Zagar in the eighth. Zagar worked two innings, allowing one run on two hits.

South Carolina Upstate’s only run came in the bottom of the ninth. After a hit batsman, Trey Bentley doubled down the left-field line to drive in the run, cutting the deficit to 12-1. But the Spartans could not mount a further rally.

The game was delayed for 35 minutes in the top of the eighth inning when the home plate umpire became ill and a lightning delay ensued. Play resumed at 5 p.m. local time.

The most important sequence of the game came in the top of the third inning, when the Cowboys sent nine batters to the plate and scored six runs on five hits, including two home runs. That inning turned a 2-0 lead into a commanding 11-0 advantage and effectively ended any competitive suspense.

Cayden Mackey, Juan Reyes and Jack Gibson pitched in relief for South Carolina Upstate.

Oklahoma State had defeated Alabama State 8-7 in 11 innings the previous day, while South Carolina Upstate had lost to Alabama 7-5 on Saturday. The two teams met Friday, with South Carolina Upstate winning 8-5.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of South Carolina Upstate 7, Oklahoma State 6. Interstat’s ELO system had given Oklahoma State a 71.80 percent probability to win.