Williamson Leads OU Past Creighton

NORMAN, Okla. -- Cory Williamson delivered a RBI triple in the bottom of the sixth inning to give OU its first lead of the game in a 4-2 victory over Creighton on Tuesday at L. Dale Mitchell Park. The win extended the Sooners' winning streak to eight games and improved their overall record to 10-4. The Bluejays dropped to 5-5 with the loss.

Creighton took an early 2-0 lead with solo runs in the second and third inning off OU starter Joseph Hughes, but the senior settled down as he received run support in his last full inning. The OU offense awoke to rally for the fifth straight game with three runs in the sixth inning and added an insurance run in the seventh.

Aljay Davis, who led OU along with Devin Shepherd with two hits apiece, began the sixth inning with a single to left field. A Joe Dunigan sacrifice bunt moved Davis into scoring position and Aaron Reza's double plated the Sooners' first run. Aaron Baker followed with a RBI single to extend his team-best hitting streak to 14 games.

Box Score | 2007 Stats | 2007 Schedule

Williamson completed the rally with the triple to right-center field, bringing home Baker before Dunigan's RBI double in the seventh gave OU a two-run lead. The Sooners outhit the Bluejays 8-5 and improved to 6-1 this season when a game is decided by two runs or less.

Hughes won his second straight midweek start with four hits and two runs allowed in 6 2/3 innings of work. The left-hander struck out one and walked two to improve to 2-1. Garrett Richards recorded his fourth save of the season with a strikeout to end the game after allowing two base runners in the ninth.

After Creighton scored its second run on Darin Ruf's RBI double in the third frame, Hughes retired 11 straight Bluejays before a walk in the seventh inning.

“Joseph started out as a weekend guy and we probably moved him there (midweek) based on his defensive specialty,” said OU head coach Sunny Golloway. “We would rather have him in center field come conference time and on the mound to win midweek games. We understand that winning midweek games is important once the postseason rolls around.”

Pat Venditte (1-1), who was one of seven Creighton pitchers to take the mound on Wednesday, took the loss after allowing three earned runs and four hits in the sixth inning.

OU's bullpen had another solid showing with 2 1/3 innings of scoreless, one-hit ball. Nich Conaway took over for Hughes in the seventh and struck out two Bluejays before turning the ball over to Richards.

During the winning streak, the Sooners' pen has limited the opposition to seven runs off 13 hits while striking out 28 batters in 20 1/3 innings. Conaway has eight strikeouts in his last two outings and has not allowed a run or hit in his last three appearances of relief spanning 3 2/3 innings.

The Sooners will conclude the current nine-game home stand with the finale of the two-game set against Creighton on Wednesday at 3 p.m.