Sooners Hold On For 5-4 Victory Over Shockers

April 1, 2003

NORMAN, Okla. - Oklahoma sophomore reliever Jarod McAuliff forced Wichita State shortstop Nick McCoola to ground into a game-ending double play to close the book on the game and the Sooners' 10-game losing streak with a 5-4 win over the Shockers Tuesday night in front of 783 fans at L. Dale Mitchell Park. McAuliff picked up his third save of the year and secured junior Casey Brown's (1-0) first win of the season in the process. Senior second baseman Eddie Cornejo went 2-for-3 at the plate and drove in three of OU's runs with two coming on his first career home run in a Sooner uniform. Oklahoma's record moved to 12-13 overall, while Wichita State dropped to 19-10.

Pinch hitter Matt Arkison (0-for-1) drove in the Sooners' winning run in the seventh inning with a ground out RBI to plate sophomore first baseman Matt Bose (0-for-3). The team maufactured the winning run after Bose drew a lead off walk and sophomore right fielder Greg Kish (1-for-4) singled to right field to place runners on first and second base with no outs. In the next at bat, junior catcher Spencer Wyman (0-for-2) laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners into scoring position just prior to Arkison's RBI ground out.

McAuliff came on in relief with a runner on in the ninth inning after Brown gave up a single to start the frame. OU's relief ace snared a pop up for the first out and then let his defense do the rest with the game-ending double play that was started off by Cornejo, one of the Sooners' offensive stars of the game.

Brown worked 2.1 innings of scoreless relief to capture his first win of the season. He relieved starting pitcher David Purcey with two outs and a runner at third base in the sixth inning. He got the team out of the jam by striking out catcher Joe Muich to end the inning and remain perfect in three attempts on the season in holding inherited runners scoreless. Brown then proceeded to sit down five of the next six batters over the next two innings before exiting at the top of the ninth inning.

Cornejo gave the Sooners a 2-0 lead with a two-run home run to left field in the bottom of the first inning. His home run scored senior center fielder Reggie Willits (0-for-2) who reached base safely for the 24th contest this season when he drew his team-leading 18th walk.

The Shockers responded with two runs of their own off Purcey in the top of the second inning to knot the game at two. An error by Bose on the first batter of the frame led to two unearned runs in the inning. Back-to-back two out RBI base hits by Muich and McCoola drove in the pair of scores.

Wichita State would capture their first lead of the contest on a solo home run by right fielder Drew Moffitt in the next frame to give the Shockers a 3-2 advantage.

Oklahoma used some aggressive base running in the fourth inning to capture the game's second tie at 3-3. After junior third baseman Jay Yaconetti (1-for-3) wound up on second base courteousy of a two base error by the WSU second baseman, an errant throw attempting to catch Yaconetti stealing at third base wound up in left field and gave him the opportunity to advance home.

After WSU manufactured another run in the top of the sixth inning on its second two out RBI double of the contest, OU fought back with a run of its own for the third tie of the game. Junior shortstop Denver Kitch (1-for-3) doubled to lead off the frame and was then sacrificed to third base by Willits. Kitch raced home to score on a shallow sacrifice fly to left field by Cornejo to pull the Sooners back even with the Shockers. The RBI was Cornejo's third of the contest and marked the second time in the last three games he has accomplished the feat.

Oklahoma returns to Big 12 Conference play this weekend when they host No. 19 Texas A&M at L. Dale Mitchell Park for a three-game set. The series begins Friday at 6:35 p.m. and continues Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Sooners Hold On For 5-4 Victory Over Shockers

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