Baseball Splits DH with Nebraska

NORMAN, Okla. -- After winning game one of Saturday's doubleheader with strong pitching, the No. 23 Oklahoma Sooners (25-12, 5-6 Big 12) failed to repeat the performance in game two with a 6-4 loss to visiting Nebraska (21-14, 6-8). Despite four errors on the evening, Nebraska squeezed out the win with a 12-6 advantage in the hit column.

Down 2-0, the Sooners took a 3-2 lead with two runs off two errors in the fourth inning. However, Nebraska rallied to tie things up in the top of the fifth and tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth and another in the seventh to claim victory in game two and tie the series at one game apiece.

The Sooners placed runners on second and third with two outs in the ninth, but Mike Gosse flied out to left field to end the evening.

Box Score | Game 1 Recap | 2007 Stats | 2007 Schedule

Timely hitting proved to be the difference for Nebraska on Saturday night. The Cornhuskers connected for four two-out base hits and drove in four runs on those at-bats in 13 opportunities against OU. The Sooners were 2-for-11 with two outs on the board and did drive in one run in those situations.

Nebraska's Johnny Dorn improved to 6-1 on the season with 8 1/3 innings of six-hit ball. Dorn surrendered four runs, two earned, on six hits and one walk. Matt Foust worked the final two outs of the ninth for his third save.

Heath Taylor registered a no-decision for OU after lasting five innings. The Cornhuskers chased the Sooners' starter after three runs off 10 hits and one walk. The start was Taylor's shortest of the season and it came after teammate Stephen Porlier pitched a four-hit complete game in the first outing of Saturday's doubleheader. OU won that game 3-0.

Danny Grande was the first Sooner to come out of the bullpen and after two walks and an 1/3 of an inning pitched, the freshman took his first loss of the year to drop to 0-1.

In the second inning, Nebraska took an early 1-0 lead on Bryce Nimmo's single to right field, plating Craig Corriston who tripled one batter earlier. Jake Opitz's run-scoring single in the third gave the Huskers a 2-0 lead.

OU responded in the bottom half of the third after Aljay Davis' sacrifice fly to center field brought home Aaron Reza (double). In their next at-bat, the Sooners kept the pressure on Dorn with Aaron Baker's leadoff triple and a fielder's choice by Cory Williamson which paved the way for two Nebraska errors and two OU runs.

The Sooners' one-run lead did not last long as Nebraska capitalized on two walks by Grande and four more by Nich Conaway. The Cornhuskers got to Conaway early before the hard-throwing righty struck out five to end the game.

“This is a disappointing loss,” said OU head coach Sunny Golloway. “We finally won the first game (earlier today) and I have always said the most important game is game two, because then you have the momentum going into the third game. We will see how our guys bounce back tomorrow.”

Opitz led Nebraska with three RBIs on the evening and was one of four Cornhuskers to connect for two hits in the contest. Aaron Reza and Mike Gosse led the way offensively for Oklahoma with two hits each. Reza finished his day with five hits in eight at-bats after going 3-for-4 in game one on Saturday.

The Sooners and Cornhuskers will resume action on Sunday with the series finale slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch.

The baseball program's second cookout, originally scheduled to take place before Saturday's 3 p.m. game, was moved due to weather and now will take place at noon on Sunday. There will also be two additional cookouts during the remainder of the home portion of the schedule on April 28 vs. Kansas and May 19 vs. Texas Tech.

The Home Run Club tent is located inside the gates at L. Dale Mitchell Park and those interested in joining the club can sign up for a $50 membership.

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