Sooners Defeat Bronchos In Baseball

Feb. 6, 2000

NORMAN, Okla. -- The University of Oklahoma baseball team swept its weekend season opening games by defeating Central Oklahoma Sunday, 8-1, at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

The Sooners (2-0) picked up six solid innings from starting pitcher Austin Coose (1-0) who allowed only four hits, while the offense was provided by third baseman Jason Bartlett and first baseman Rick Park, who both belted solo home runs in the game.

The Bronchos, who were playing in their season opener, fell to 0-1 on the season. OU jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning when UCO starting pitcher Brent Smerczynski (0-1) failed to find the strike zone and walked centerfielder Jerome Godsey and Bartlett consecutively. After leftfielder Lance Williams moved both runners up by grounding out, Park scored Godsey from third on a ground out.

Bartlett then scored for the Sooners on an RBI single by designated hitter Jeff Bajenaru.

Bartlett nailed a home run to left-centerfield to lead off the third inning and Park's solo home run capped off a two-run inning in the fifth for Oklahoma.

With two outs in the sixth, OU picked up its final runs of the game after an error by Broncho third baseman Jason Barnard and three consecutive singles plated three unearned runs for the Sooners.

Bartlett's solo home run was part of a 3-for-3 performance at the plate, including two RBIs and two runs scored. Godsey collected two doubles on the afternoon and contributed two RBIs and three runs scored. Rightfielder Eliot Joyner also added a 2-for-3 performance with a run scored for OU.

UCO was led offensively by first baseman Bubba Brown who went 2-for-4 at the plate. Smerczynski (0-1) suffered the loss for the Bronchos after giving up five runs on six hits in 4.2 innings of work.

The Sooners continue their season-opening five game homestand on Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 3 p.m. against Missouri Southern.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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