No. 8 Baylor Upends No. 27 Oklahoma, 10-3, In Series Finale

March 23, 2003

WACO, Texas - The eighth-ranked Baylor baseball team secured a series sweep with a 10-3 victory over No. 27 Oklahoma in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Baylor Ballpark. Three Baylor home runs and nine early runs off Oklahoma starter Mike Swindell (2-1) led to the Sooners' demise. The OU offense only generated four hits in the game and scored three runs in the sixth inning to avoid a shut out. The loss was OU's (11-9, 0-3 Big 12) third in a row to the Bears and sixth-straight. Baylor's record moved to 21-6 overall and 5-1 in the Big 12.

OU mounted a small comback in the top of the sixth inning and plated three runs to cut Baylor's lead to 10-3. Senior center fielder Reggie Willits (0-for-3) started off the frame with a walk and a stolen base to end up at second base. Willits hustled around the bases to score on an error by the Bears' first baseman which placed senior right fielder Matt Arkison (1-for-4) at first base. Following the first out of the inning and a single by junior third baseman Jay Yaconetti (1-for-4), Arkison scored on junior left fielder Andrew McGuire's (1-for-3) single to left. Sophomore first baseman Matt Bose (0-for-2) accounted for the Sooners' final run of the inning as his sacrifice fly to left field scored Yaconetti.

Swindell backed himself into an early 5-0 hole at the end of the first inning after allowing five runs on five hits. The Sooners aided the Bears' effort with an error by freshman second baseman Russell Raley (1-for-1) that led to two unearned runs in the frame.

After battling through two more hits and a walk during the second and third frames, Swindell's day ended after giving up back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning. The junior righthander served up a three-run homer to first baseman Ross Bennett and then gave up the second home run to left fielder Micheal Griffin to give Baylor a 9-0 advantage.

Sophomore lefty David Purcey relieved Swindell following the two homers and got the Sooners out of the inning without any further damage. Purcey also fell victim to the Bears' home run barrage in the next inning when center fielder Chris Durbin hit a solo shot to left field to extend Baylor's lead to 10-0.

Swindell exited the game after working 3.1 innings and giving up nine hits, nine runs (six earned) and walking two. It marked his second start of the season after making four relief appearances.

Oklahoma junior righthander Casey Brown made his first appearance of the season after recovering from shoulder surgery back in the fall. Brown worked the seventh inning and struck out the first batter he faced and proceeded to get the next two Bears out on consecutive groundouts.

Oklahoma concludes its eight-game road trip with a final swing through Fort Worth on Tuesday to face TCU. The game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Lupton Stadium and Williams-Reilly Field. OU won the first contest between the two teams earlier in the season, 13-6, back in Norman.

SOONER GAME NOTES:

Senior center fielder Reggie Willits has now reached base safely in 19 of the 20 games played this season.

Freshman catcher Brandon Lance made his second appearance behind the plate this season.