OU Rallies to Top No. 22 San Diego

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- The Sooners rallied from its largest deficit of the season, four runs, to defeat No. 22 San Diego 6-4 on Saturday in the 2007 Tony Gwynn Classic at Petco Park. The win extends OU's winning streak to 11 games and improves its overall record to 13-4. The Toreros dropped to 14-9.

The Sooners scored four runs in the fifth inning to take their first lead of the game, 6-4. Heath Taylor improved to 3-0 with two strikeouts and two runs allowed on four hits and two walks. Taylor pitched his longest outing of the season with 6 1/3 innings out of the bullpen.

Garrett Richards pitched a perfect ninth inning to record his team-leading fifth save.

"The coaching staff was proud of the way we fought back," said OU head coach Sunny Golloway. "Falling behind early was good for us because we needed to see if we could fight back in a ballgame and that is what we did tonight."

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San Diego starter Matt Couch (3-1) took his first loss of the season after allowing six runs, four unearned, on nine hits and three walks.

OU was down 4-0 after the top of the third inning as the Toreros chased Ryan Mottern out of the game after 1 2/3 innings pitched. The Sooners' starter surrendered two runs on three hits and four walks in his shortest outing of the season.

Aaron Reza put OU on the board in the bottom of the third inning after driving in a run on a ground out to third base.

An RBI single in the fourth inning by Jackson Williams narrowed the Toreros' lead to two runs.

In the fifth inning, Aaron Reza drove in the frame's first run on an error by San Diego's shortstop, which paved the way for the Sooners' big inning. The run was followed by Aaron Baker's RBI single, extending his team-leading hitting streak to 17 games. Cory Williamson drove in a run two batters later on a ground out to first base and Joseph Hughes followed with a RBI single.

That was all Taylor needed to record his third straight win in as many appearances. Taylor received plenty of defensive support as OU turned two key double plays and received another spectacular catch from Hughes in center field. In the seventh inning, Hughes caught an over-the-shoulder catch at the track with a full-extension dive.

"Heath did a tremendous job for us in relief today," said Golloway. "He got us to the last inning where we were able to give the ball to our closer. His outing tonight and Nich Conaway's last night is something we value because they give us two options for long relief out of the bullpen from both sides of the mound."

Saturday's win was the Sooners' seventh comeback victory of the season and the sixth in the last eight games.

OU will conclude action in the 2007 Tony Gwynn Classic at noon (CT) against Michigan (5-3) at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The Sooners Brad Burns (0-0, 2.19 ERA) is expected to start opposite the Wolverines' Chris Fetter (0-0, 4.50 ERA).

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