KSU Powers Past OU in Opener

MANHATTAN, Kan. -- The OU baseball team could not hold its 3-0 lead in Friday's series opener at Kansas State. The Sooners fell 10-6 despite collecting nine hits, including three home runs. Derek Bunker's grand slam in the fourth inning proved to the difference.

OU has lost four straight games and Friday's loss takes its overall record to 25-15 and 5-8 in Big 12 play. Kansas State improved to 25-13 and 6-7 with the win, its fourth series-opening win against Oklahoma in the last five years.

“Sometimes you really have to tip your cap to your opponent and Kansas State deserved to win tonight,” said OU head coach Sunny Golloway. “I was pleased with our offensive performance with the three home runs, but they were all solo shots and that proved to be the difference in the game. Kansas State did a good job of putting runners on in front of their big hits and we didn't.”

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The Sooners scored the game's initial run with Ryan Mottern's RBI double down the left-field line in the first. After two scoreless innings, OU extended its lead, in the third, thanks to Aaron Reza's second home run of the season, a solo shot over the fence in left field. Joe Dunigan's triple down the right-field line set the table for Jackson WIlliams. With one out, Williams grounded out to short but drove in Dunigan to give the Sooners a 3-0 lead.

Stephen Porlier picked up right where he left off on Saturday against Nebraska (four-hit shutout) with three scoreless innings, beginning his outing with two hits and four strikeouts.

The tables quickly turned in the bottom of the fourth as Porlier allowed Kansas State to battle back into the ball game with five walks and a grand slam off the bat of Derek Bunker, the only hit of the frame. The Wildcats' six runs gave them a three-run lead after four frames.

In the fifth inning, Reza's RBI double narrowed the gap to a two-run advantage but KSU immediately responded with Tyler Ruch's run-scoring single in the bottom of the frame.

The Wildcats extended the lead with a pair of runs in the seventh and a solo run in the eighth to hold Oklahoma, who scored a run in the eighth and ninth, at bay.

Porlier (5-4) finished the outing with 4 2/3 innings of work and seven runs allowed on five hits and six walks. Porlier did strike out seven opposite his counterpart Brad Hutt (7-2), who sat down two batters. Hutt earned the win with 5 1/3 innings pitched and four runs allowed on six hits and four walks.

Offensively, Reza, Dunigan and Williams led the way for the Sooners with two hits apiece. Besides Reza's solo shot, Dunigan and Aaron Baker each connected for long balls in the eighth and ninth, respectively.

The Sooners will look to end the four-game skid as the series continues on Saturday at 2 p.m. Heath Taylor (6-1, 3.09 ERA) is expected to throw against KSU's Chase Bayuk (3-3, 4.12 ERA). The three-game set will conclude on Sunday at 1 p.m.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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