The regular season is winding down, and every game feels like a playoff now for the Arizona State baseball team. With single-digit games remaining, the stakes couldn't be higher—a possible Big 12 regular-season title and hosting rights for a regional are on the line. But on May 8, the No. 16 Sun Devils suffered a gut-wrenching 9-6 loss to visiting Oklahoma State at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, a defeat that could have major postseason implications.

For seven innings, it was a tightly contested battle, tied at 3-3. Then came the eighth, when ASU (33-16, 16-9) erupted for three runs, seemingly taking control of the game. The momentum, however, was short-lived. In the top of the ninth, the wheels fell off completely. Oklahoma State (32-17, 15-10) stormed back with six runs, flipping the script and snatching victory from the Sun Devils' grasp.

"We just gave them too many outs there in the ninth inning that were unnecessary, and that bit us," said ASU head coach Willie Bloomquist. "That was a game that, up until that ninth inning, there were a lot of good things. A lot of good competition on both sides. It's a shame we ended up losing it the way we did."

For Oklahoma State, the win was their eighth in the last nine games, coming fresh off a dominant three-game sweep of TCU. The Cowboys have been on a scorching hot streak, and their late-inning resilience proved too much for ASU to handle.

For the Sun Devils, this loss stings—not just because of the blown lead, but because of what it means for their postseason hopes. Every game counts now, and this ninth-inning implosion is a tough lesson in the importance of closing out games. As Bloomquist noted, there were plenty of positives through eight innings, but baseball is a game of nine. And in the end, the final frame told the story.