Blair Pitches Sooners Past Wolverines In 5-2 Win

March 8, 2003

NORMAN, Okla. - Oklahoma starting pitcher Buddy Blair helped the No. 29 Sooner baseball team avenge Friday's loss to Michigan by pitching OU to a 5-2 win over the Wolverines Saturday in front of 676 fans at L. Dale Mitchell Park. Blair (2-1) tossed his first career complete game and fanned a career high nine batters in the process. Junior third baseman Jay Yaconetti provided the Sooners' offensive punch as he slugged his second home run in as many games and singled to plate two more runs to account for three of the team's runs. Oklahoma's record moves to 7-3 as Michigan tumbles to 4-5.

"We got out of our team today what we didn't get yesterday which was good pitching," said OU head coach Larry Cochell reflecting back on his team's collapse Friday in which it squandered an eight-run lead. "Buddy pitched such a great game for us. He was getting ahead in the count and when you're able to do that you can be unstoppable."

Blair's performance was made even more impressive as he did not issue any walks and scattered eight hits. The Tulsa, Okla., native bettered his previous career high of six stikeouts, which was set in his last start against No. 22 Ohio State last weekend. Blair began the year by matching his career strikeout mark in his first start and has topped the total with each successive start.

OU scored all the necessary runs for victory in the third and fifth frames. After Michigan starting hurler Michael Penn (0-1) quickly got the first two batters of the third inning out, senior right fielder Matt Arkison (1-for-4) ignited a Sooner rally that lasted six more batters with a single. Consecutive walks to senior center fielder Reggie Willits (2-for-3) and senior second baseman Eddie Cornejo (0-for-3) loaded the bases for Yaconetti who plated Arkison and Willits with a single up the middle.

Senior first baseman Luke Alexander (1-for-4) drove in the remaining baserunners with a triple to center field to extend the Oklahoma lead to 4-1.

Leading off the fifth inning, Yaconetti sent his fifth home run of the season to left field to score the final Sooner run.

Michigan managed to pull to within two runs by plating single runs in the third and fourth innings to cut the lead to 4-2. Center fielder Matt Butler (1-for-3) led off the third frame with a double and crossed home plate two batters later on a ground out to third base by Wolverine second baseman Jordan Cantalamessa (0-for-5).

The Wolverines plated an unearned run in the next inning as a lead off base hit by first baseman Nate Wright (1-for-4) came around to score the team's second runas one of the Sooners' three errors on the day prolonged the inning.

With his 3-for-4 hitting effort today, Yaconetti his batting .750 (6-for-8) with two home runs, five runs scored and six RBI thus far during the series. The Gilbert, Ariz., native has tied his career high of three hits in a game in the last three contests and has established a career best of three RBI in the last two games.

Oklahoma and Michigan will face off in the rubber match of the series tomorrow at 1 p.m. at L. Dale Mitchell Park. OU Rally Rags will be the featured giveaway during the game.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Blair Pitches Sooners Past Wolverines In 5-2 Win

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