Sooners Fall 6-5 To No. 8 Bears In The Ninth Inning

March 21, 2003

WACO, Texas - With the game tied at 5-5, Baylor left fielder Michael Griffin singled with the bases load to drive in the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the eighth-ranked Bears a 6-5 win over No. 27 Oklahoma Friday night at Baylor Ballpark. The two teams battled with a 5-5 tie during the last three and a half innings before the Bears broke through with a run to end the game. The Sooners squandered several late opportunities by loading the bases in the sixth and eighth innings with only one out and failing to push a run across. OU sophomore right fielder Jarod McAuliff (1-1) worked the ninth inning and was responsible for giving up the game-winning hit that dropped the Sooners to 11-7 on the year and 0-1 in the Big 12 Conference. Baylor improved to 19-6 overall and 3-1 in the league.

McAuliff came on in the ninth inning in relief of starter Mark Roberts who worked the first eight frames. Roberts gave up 11 hits, including two costly home runs that accounted for all of the Bears' first five runs. He finished the game with four strikeouts and walking only one.

The Sooners took advantage of a Bears error in the second inning to score the first run of the game. Junior left fielder Andrew McGuire (1-for-4) got things going with a two-out base hit to right field which freshman second baseman Russell Raley (0-for-4) followed with a walk. In the next at bat, Baylor second baseman Kyle Reynolds made an errant throw to first base for what should have been the third out, instead the error allowed McGuire to score from second base to give OU a 1-0 lead.

Baylor captured a 3-1 edge in the third inning on a three-run homer by first baseman Ross Bennett, however, Oklahoma responded with three runs of their own in the top of the fourth frame to reclaim the lead. After just missing a home run to left field in his previous at bat, senior right fielder Matt Arkison (2-for-4) connected on a bases loaded double to left to plate two runs and tie the game at 3-3. Senior center fielder Reggie Willits' (0-for-2) sacrifice fly to center field put OU ahead 4-3.

OU added another run in the fifth inning, aided by two more Baylor miscues, to extend its lead to 5-3. Junior third baseman Jay Yaconetti (0-for-5) led off the frame by reaching base on an error by Bears shortstop Trey Webb. After moving over to third base on a base hit by sophomore first baseman Matt Bose (2-for-5) and a passed ball by the Baylor catcher, Yaconetti scored on a groundout to shortstop by McGuire.

Baylor notched the second tie of the game on a two-run homer by catcher Josh Ford in the bottom of the fifth frame to knot the contest at 5-5.

Game two of the three-game set will be played tomorrow starting at 3 p.m. at Baylor Ballpark. Two lefthanders will take the mound for each school tomorrow with junior Buddy Blair (2-2) starting for the Sooners and sophomore Trey Taylor (1-2) toeing the rubber for the Bears.

SOONER GAME NOTES:

* Senior center fielder Reggie Willits has now reached base safely in 17 of the 18 games played this season.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Sooners Fall 6-5 To No. 8 Bears In The Ninth Inning

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