Baseball Clinches Bedlam Series Victory With 6-5 Win

April 27, 2003

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. - Oklahoma picked up its first Big 12 Conference series win in dramatic fashion in a 6-5 triumph over 20th-ranked and Bedlam rival Oklahoma State Sunday afternoon with a crowd of 7,345 on hand at the SBC Bricktown Ballpark. OU junior reliever Mike Swindell put out an OSU scoring threat in the ninth inning to secure his second save and the Sooners' second straight series victory in The Bank of Oklahoma Bedlam Series presented by the Oklahoma Ford Dealers. Junior catcher Spencer Wyman was the Sooners' offensive hero of the game as he belted a two run-homer and scored what turned out to be the game-winning run. OU's second-straight win improves its record 16-24 overall and 4-14 in the Big 12 Conference. OSU fell to 28-15 overall and 10-8 in the Big 12 with the loss.

The Cowboys gave the Sooners a scare in the bottom of the ninth when OSU left fielder Scott Kirby reached second base to lead off the inning after placing a single into left field and continuing on on an error by OU left fielder Brandon Jones (1-for-3). Kirby's out field teammate, right fielder Lyndsey Simmons, promptly brought him home in the next at bat with a single which forced Sooner reliever Jarod McAuliff from the game. Swindell then stepped in and retired the final three batters to close out the win.

Oklahoma's successful two out rallies from Saturday night carried over into the Sooners' first scoring opportunity on Sunday. With two quickly away in the top of the third inning, Jones and junior shortstop Denver Kitch (1-for-5) laced two consecutive singles into center field to place runners at the corners. A walk to senior center fielder Reggie Willits (1-for-3) loaded the bases for senior second baseman Eddie Cornejo (1-for-4) who doubled down the left field line to plate Jones and Kitch for a 2-0 Sooner lead.

Oklahoma State cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the frame as right fielder Craig Bartosh tagged Oklahoma starter Buddy Blair (3-6) for a lead off home run to center field to get the Cowboys on the scoreboard.

The score remained 2-1 until the top of the sixth inning when the Sooners a plated three more runs to extand its lead to 5-1. A lead off triple by sophomore right fielder Greg Kish (1-for-5) turned into the Sooners' third run of the game when sophomore first baseman Matt Bose (2-for-3) lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to bring Kish home. After OSU made a pitching change following a hit batsman and the second out, Wyman welcomed Cowboys reliever Shane Hawk to the game with a two-run home run that was crushed to deep center field. The home run was Wyman's second of the series this season and the third in his career against Oklahoma State.

OSU responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the frame to climb back to within two of OU at 5-3. Shortstop Chris Gutierrez doubled to right field and came home two batters later on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Josh Fields for the first run of the inning and a solo homer to center field by first baseman John Urick accounted for the second score and also ended Blair's day.

The Sooners got to Hawk, the conference's ERA leader entering the weekend, for one more run in the top of the ninth to cushion their lead at 6-4. Hawk walked and hit the first two batters of the frame before giving up a one out base hit to Willits which allowed Wyman, who reached on the walk, to race around third base and slide underneath the tag on a close play at the plate.

Blair worked the first 5.2 innings and scattered five hits, allowed three runs, walked a batter and struck out another. He faced the minimum in two innings and faced only one batter over in the other three frames before running into trouble in the sixth.

McAuliff came on in the sixth and got the final out after allowing a single to the first batter he faced. He then continued on to retire the side in the seventh and got out of some two out trouble in the eigth inning after surrendering a run.

Oklahoma returns to the SBC Bricktown Ballpark on Wednesday evening as it hosts No. Arizona State in its next contest. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Baseball Clinches Bedlam Series Victory With 6-5 Win

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