Oklahoma Baseball Blows Lead In 16-12 Loss To Michigan

March 7, 2003

NORMAN, Okla. - Two days after recording a comeback victory over TCU on Tuesday, the 29th-ranked Oklahoma baseball team suffered the opposite fate in a 16-12 loss to Michigan Friday night at L. Dale Mitchell Park. Trailing the Sooners 12-4, the Wolverines climbed back into the game by scoring eight runs in the seventh inning to tie the game and took the lead with four more runs in the final two frames. OU fell to 6-3 on the season with the loss as UM evened its record at 4-4.

"They [Michigan] did an outstanding job of swinging the bats today and staying in the game," said OU head coach Larry Cochell following the game. "We did everything we had to do to win the game today. We hit well and we played good defense, but we just didn't pitch well."

"When we got behind, we didn't have a lot of quality at bats there in the late innings."

Michigan did its damage in the seventh inning as it tagged sophomore reliever Ben Pinkston for seven runs on six hits in .2 innings of work. Junior righthander Charlie House (0-2) relieved Pinkston with OU ahead 12-9 and gave up a three-run home run to UM catcher Jake Fox, tying the game at 12. House's misfortunes continued into the eighth inning as he relinquished the winning runs as three more hits led to three more runs for Michigan.

Fox hurt the Sooners again in the ninth with a solo home run off Sooner reliever Jarod McAuliff to end the scoring for the Wolverines.

The Sooners grabbed an early 3-0 lead through the first four frames as Jay Yaconetti (3-for-4) factored in to each of the team's initial three runs. The junior third baseman hit his team-leading fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot, in the first inning and scored again in the fourth frame on sophomore designated hitter Greg Kish's (0-for-2) ground out to third base. Yaconetti finished the contest tying his career bests in runs scored and hits with three and establishing a new career high with three RBI.

The Sooners' lead was short-lived as the Wolverines tied it up in the top of the fifth inning on a three-run home run by second baseman Jordan Cantalamessa (4-for-6) off OU starting pitcher Mark Roberts.

Oklahoma responded with eight runs in the bottom of the inning to open up an 11-3 lead. Sophomore left fielder Brandon Jones (0-for-2) began the inning with a groundout to shortstop prior to the Sooners scoring seven runs before another out was recorded. Senior right fielder Matt Arkison (3-for-5) followed Jones and collected the first of seven hits in the inning for OU by hitting the first of his two triples, which tied a school single game record. A walk to senior center fielder Reggie Willits (2-for-3) placed two runners on base as senior second baseman Eddie Cornejo (2-for-5) doubled home both runners.

Yaconetti drew a walk and senior first baseman Luke Alexander (1-for-5) singled to place runners at the corners for sophomore catcher Matt Bose (1-for-4) who hit his first home run of the season to plate all three runs and give Oklahoma a 10-3 advantage. Sophomore pinch hitter Tyler Johnson (1-for-3) singled and scored on Arkison's second three-bagger of the inning to cap off the eight-run frame.

The two teams meet early tomorrow with an 11 a.m. start time at L. Dale Mitchell Park. Oklahoma junior lefthander Buddy Blair (1-1) will face Michigan righthander Michael Penn (0-0) on the mound in the series' second game.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Oklahoma Baseball Blows Lead In 16-12 Loss To Michigan

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