Sooner Miscues Lead To 5-1 Loss To No. 16 Cornhuskers

March 28, 2003

NORMAN, Okla. - Three Sooner errors led to three unearned Cornhusker runs in Oklahoma's 5-1 loss to 16th-ranked Nebraska Friday night in OU's Big 12 Conference home opener at L. Dale Mitchell Park. The poor defensive effort wasted a fine pitching performance by OU starter Mark Roberts (3-1) who carried a no-hitter through five innings, but suffered his first loss of the season in the end. Nebraska starter Aaron Marsden (5-0) pitched just as well as he gave up only one run on four hits and struck out 10 in a complete game performance for the Huskers (17-6, 5-2 Big 12). OU dropped to 11-11 and remained winless in the league at 0-4 with its eighth-straight loss.

The Sooners avoided their first shutout of the season by scoring a run in the bottom of the ninth inning when senior center fielder Reggie Willits (2-for-4) sparked a brief Sooner rally with a one out double. Junior shortstop Denver Kitch (1-for-4) kept the inning alive with a base hit and an error by the Cornhusker shortstop allowed Willits to score Oklahoma's lone run.

Roberts outdueled Marsden through five innings as the junior righthander did not allow a hit and had already reached his previous season high of six strikeouts. The Owasso, Okla., native finished with a season best eight strikeouts which fell one shy of his career high. Roberts only issued two walks through the first five and only had two runners on base once. He faced the minimum in each of the first four innings before allowing two baserunners in the fifth due to an error and a strikeout-wild pitch combination.

Nebraska's first hit of the game, a bloop single to right field by center fielder Jeff Leise, led to the Huskers' first run in the sixth inning. After stealing second base and moving to third on a wild pitch, Leise scored on a single by shortstop Joe Simokaitis to give Nebraska a 1-0 lead.

The Cornhuskers' biggest blow came in the seventh inning when they scored three runs on three hits and were aided by two Sooner errors. With one out, a walk and two consecutive hits brought home another run to give the Huskers a two-run cushion. On the play that scored the second run, Oklahoma made an outstanding defensive play to cut down a potential third run as sophomore left fielder Greg Kish (1-for-3) threw a strike home to nail Nebraska left fielder Drew Anderson at the plate.

However, following the fine defensive effort at the plate, OU sophomore first baseman Matt Bose (0-for-2) was unable to handle the ball on a groundout allowing another runner to score. Two batters later, the Sooners' second error of the inning, this time by senior second baseman Eddie Cornejo (0-for-4), led to another unearned run in the frame.

OU junior hurler Casey Brown made his second appearance of the season and came on in relief of Roberts to strike out the final batter in the seventh. Brown continued to work the eighth and ninth frames and surrendered only two hits while striking out four in his outing.

Nebraska plated another unearned run off of Brown in the eighth inning after a second miscue by Cornejo allowed NU third baseman Alex Gordon, who had earlier doubled, to score from second base.

The second game of the series being played tomorrow at 2:05 p.m. will be televised by Fox Sports Net. OU lefty Buddy Blair (2-3) will start for the Sooners and Nebraska righty Quinton Robertson (4-1) will take the mound for the Huskers.

The series long promotion "Can The Cornhuskers" will continue tomorrow where anyone who donates a canned food item will get a $2 adult general admission ticket ($3 off the regular price). The canned food items will be donated to the Feed The Children charity.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Sooner Miscues Lead To 5-1 Loss To No. 16 Cornhuskers

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