OU Tops No. 11 Wichita State, 5-4

NORMAN, Okla. -- The Oklahoma baseball team (6-4) rallied from a 4-3 deficit to top No. 11 Wichita State (8-3), 5-4, thanks to Joe Dunigan's two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning on Wednesday in front of 1,123 fans at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

Joseph Hughes (1-1) pitched eight solid inning and Garrett Richards recorded the save (3) to end Wichita State's eight-game winning streak. The Sooners have won three straight over the Shockers dating back to last year's Norman Regional and Wednesday's win tied the all-time series at 10 games apiece.

Hughes made his third start of the year and fourth appearance overall to record his first win as a Sooner. The senior did not make a start in 2006 but appeared in 12 games without registering a decision.

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On Wednesday, he tossed a career-high 126 pitches in the outing. The eight frames was also a career high as Hughes limited the Shockers to four runs off six hits and three walks in that span. His five strikeouts tied the best total of his two-year career at OU, equaling the mark set against UTPA earlier this season.

“This was a great win for our young club,” said OU head coach Sunny Golloway. “We got a great performance from Joseph Hughes. He pitched and never gave into a hitter.“

After falling behind 2-0 in the top of the third inning, Hughes got his first lead in the bottom half of the frame on Aaron Reza's RBI single and Aaron Baker's two-run double.

The go-ahead hit by Baker extended his team-best hitting streak to 10 games. After Wednesday's action, the freshman from Denton, Texas ranks second in the Big 12 Conference with a .462 batting average.

The lead was short lived as Wichita State tied the game after Tyler Weber's RBI single in the fourth inning and regained the lead on Matt Brown's sacrifice fly in the fifth.

Trailing 4-3, the Sooners came from behind for the second straight game to extend their winning streak to four games. The rally started in the seventh inning on Aaron Ivey's single through the right side of the infield to lead off the frame. After a sacrifice bunt by Aljay Davis moved Ivey to second base, Dunigan came up to the plate and launched his second round tripper of the season.

The two-run shot, off of WSU reliever Jared Simon (0-1), traveled well over the right-field fence as Dunigan gave OU the lead for the duration as Richards retired the side in order in the ninth.

Dunigan, who finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, has driven in seven runs off seven hits in his last three games. The junior from Chicago, Illinois was part of the 2-3-4 hitters in the Sooners' lineup that finished 6-for-12 with four runs driven in. Reza finished 2-for-4 with a RBI and Baker was 2-for-4 with two runs driven in as OU outhit WSU 11-6.

“Joe stepped it up tonight,” said Golloway. “The progress that he has made in three years is what makes coaching fun. We are able to take our younger guys aside and have them sit down with Joe and he tells them how tough it was his first year. Right now, he is putting it all together and it is fun for us to watch him play.”

OU returns to action on Friday, March 2 at 3 p.m. against No. 20 UC Riverside at L. Dale Mitchell Park. The game is the first of the three game set against the Highlanders which also features a 3 p.m. game on Saturday and a 1 p.m. finale on Sunday.

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