STILLWATER, Okla. – A member of the Rosholt family has helped provide many a win for Oklahoma State University on a wrestling mat.

On Sunday in the first installment of the Bedlam Series for 2010-11, it was Blake’s turn.

Weighing in at 211 pounds, the redshirt-freshman turned a reversal – seconds after almost being locked in a cradle – in the final 30 seconds into a 4-3 victory over eighth-ranked Nathan Fernandez in the dual’s third bout, 285 pounds.

It sparked the second-ranked Cowboys to a 22-12 win over No. 8 Oklahoma. A second-period pin by top-ranked Jordan Oliver at 133 pounds and a major decision by fifth-ranked Clayton Foster didn’t hurt either.

“You look at Blake’s match and he did a pretty good job of getting that first takedown. He really out-wrestled (Fernandez) but it was still 2-2 after the first period,” said OSU head coach John Smith, who coached his alma mater to victory for the 299th time. “The reversal (a switch) in the third is not something you see very often in the third period from heavyweights. He wrestled a wrestler who has been wrestling well, coming off a big performance in Vegas. It’s a good win for Blake.

“The only disappointment I have is in the five matches we didn’t score a takedown. It tells me we have a lot to work on going forward.”

A week ago in a 17-16 win at No. 3 Minnesota, OSU (3-0) got off to a slow start in a dual that started at 174 pounds. The Gophers won three of the first four bouts. A week later, redshirt-freshman 184-pounder Chris Perry opened the dual with a solid 6-1 win over Erich Schmidtke, an opponent who beat him back in November.

“I felt like it was real important for me to start things off,” said Perry, who improved to 9-2. “(Against UM) I felt my preparation was not where it needed to be, mentally before the match. This time, being the first one out I was excited again. In a rivalry dual it’s important to step out there and get things moving in the right direction.”

“I talked with (Perry) a little bit, settled him down,” said uncle Smith. “He’s ready to go two hours before a match, burning weight, calories …nervous energy. He wrestled much better this week. We got nice wins from three freshmen.”

All-American Clayton Foster (5-0) followed Perry with a dominating 14-3 major decision of Keldrick Hall at 197 pounds to put the hosts up 7-0.

Rosholt (2-1), suiting up in place of injured starter Alan Gelogaev, an All-American at 197 in 2010, scored a takedown but was hit for locked hands in the opening period. A Fernandez escape late tied it at 2-2. A second-period escape gave Fernandez (13-2), the Las Vegas champion last week, a 3-2 lead and he took that late into the bout before Rosholt used an old-fashioned switch for a decisive reversal.

“It’s a big win for me, for sure, my best one yet. But it’s only my third match at the weight that I am a little bit small for,” said Rosholt, whose older brothers combined for seven All-America seasons and three NCAA titles. “He had a weird lock over my head with my arm, it was a cradle but I didn’t feel any danger of going over. It felt good to get a win like that.”

Trailing 10-0, the Sooners (5-1) tried to get back in the dual with a tough 2-1 win by No. 6 Jarrod Patterson over No. 7 Jon Morrison. Patterson (13-2) used a third-period two-minute leg ride and a second-period escape for his win. It was Morrison’s first loss in 11 bouts this season and came a week after his thrilling overtime victory over two-time All-American Zach Sanders at Minnesota.

Oliver (7-0) smelled blood early, using two first-period cradles for an 8-1 lead. He went back to the cradle in the second period and finished off Jordan Keller at the 3:51 mark.

“Jordan is still developing,” said Smith of the nation’s fourth-place finisher at the 2010 NCAA Championships. “To win championships it takes more than improvement. It takes perfection. I like where he is going but he’s not where I want him.”

Oliver’s seven matches this season have resulted in three technical falls and three pins. His technical fall against Minnesota provided the difference in a one-point dual meet.

All-American Zack Bailey (14-2), ranked sixth, outlasted Luke Silver, 8-5, at 141 pounds to cut the OSU lead to 16-6.

But ninth-ranked Jamal Parks (10-1) was never in trouble in beating Nick Lester, 5-2, at 149 pounds as the Cowboys’ lead grew to 19-6.

Lester No. 2, Matt, beat 15th-ranked Albert White, 1-0, at 157 pounds to give the Sooners just a bit of life, but OSU rookie Dallas Bailey (11-1) won a wild, 2-1, bout at 165 pounds to secure the 127th victory in 163 matches against OU.

The Bailey-Chase Nelson bout featured the best two minutes of the evening.

The Cowboy took a 2-1 lead to the final period where Nelson continually charged. Bailey tried to convert a slick duck-under into 2 but Nelson was able to snake Bailey at the edge of the mat and nearly score. After a restart Nelson got to Bailey’s leg but the rookie tried a throw off the edge of the mat. A Bailey shot resulted in an attempted cement mixer by Nelson. In the end there was only three points scored in a furious final period.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I anticipate what happened,” said Sooner coach Jack Spates, who is 3-32-3 all-time against the Cowboys. “I am very disappointed. Embarrassed. We have a team that can perform a whole lot better than that. We have a team that can win. But not wrestling like that.

“This is a team that works extremely hard, but you would never know that tonight. It’s not the winning and losing, it’s being behind and not fighting and scratching and clawing. It’s not the kind of passion that you have to have to win (at OSU).”

Sooner All-American Tyler Caldwell (13-2), ranked fifth, fashioned the final score with a 3-0 decision of 13th-ranked Mike Benefiel at 174 pounds. 

Oklahoma State returns to action Jan. 2 at Arizona State. A week later the Cowboys return to the National Duals before hosting reigning NCAA champion Iowa in Stillwater on Jan. 16.

Oklahoma will send a contingent to the annual Midlands Championships, Dec. 29-30.

No. 3 Oklahoma State 22, No. 8 Oklahoma 12

184 - Chris Perry (OS) dec Erich Schmidtke, 6-1

197 - Clayton Foster (OS) maj dec Keldrick Hall, 14-3

285 - Blake Rosholt (OS) dec Nathan Fernandez, 4-3

125 - Jarrod Patterson (O) dec Jon Morrison, 2-1

133 - Jordan Oliver (OS) pin Jordan Keller, 3:51

141 - Zack Bailey (O) dec Luke Silver, 8-5

149 -J amal Parks (OS) dec Nick Lester, 5-2

157 - Matt Lester (O) dec Albert White, 1-0

165 - Dallas Bailey (OS) dec Chase Nelson, 2-1

174 - Tyler Caldwell (O) dec Mike Benefiel, 3-0