Sooner Baseball Falls 4-3 To Horned Frogs In Extra Innings

March 25, 2003

Box Score

FORT WORTH, Texas - TCU catcher Jared Hatcher scored on a two base error by OU center fielder Reggie Willits in the bottom of the 11th inning to score the winning run in the Horned Frogs 4-3 victory over the Sooners Tuesday night at Lupton Stadium. The Sooners held a slim 3-2 lead until the bottom of the ninth inning when the Horned Frogs tied the game up at 3-3 off Oklahoma closer Jarod McAuliff (1-2) to Oklahoma into its first extra inning affair of the season.

McAuliff allowed a one out single to Hatcher before giving up a second straight single to reserve first baseman Jared Lundeen which got past Willits to allow Hatcher to score all the way from first base to end the game. TCU had tied the game two innings prior when a one out double by Hatcher off McAuliff was followed by a RBI-single by first baseman Chris Neuman.

Willits (4-for-6), who collected a career high four hits, helped the Sooners jump out to an early two-run lead by leading off the game with a double. Junior shortstop Denver Kitch (2-for-6) followed with a single to place runners at the corners for senior right fielder Matt Arkison (0-for-3) who scored Willits with a sacrifice fly to center field. After Kitch moved around to third base, junior third baseman Jay Yaconetti (1-for-3) brought him home with a sacrifice fly to right field for a 2-0 lead.

The Horned Frogs responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame. OU starting pitcher David Purcey got into trouble early by walking two batters and allowing two hits while securing only one out in the process. The second hit in the series, by third baseman Mike Settle, drove in center fielder Terry Trofholz from second base. Purcey worked his way out of any further trouble by getting a line out to first base and striking out the final batter of the inning.

Following his rocky start, Purcey settled in to allow only two more hits over the next five innings. The second hit, a single by second baseman Will Lewis, led to an unearned run for TCU in the fifth frame. A throwing error by Purcey on a failed pick off attempt of Lewis at first base moved Lewis over to third base and put him in position to score on Trofholz's sacrifice fly to center field to close the gap in the game to 3-2.

Purcey was lifted from the game after pitching six complete innings and giving up only four hits, two runs (one earned) and striking out four. He faced the minimum in four of the innings.

Oklahoma opens its Big 12 Conference home slate when it welcomes No. 16 Nebraska to L. Dale Mitchell Park this weekend. The three-game set begins Friday at 6:35 p.m.

SOONER GAME NOTES:

Senior center fielder Reggie Willits and senior second baseman Eddie Cornejo have now reached base safely in 20 of the 21 games played this season.

Freshman catcher Brandon Lance made his first start behind the plate this season.