Offense Fuels Baseballs Game 3 Win

MANHATTAN, Kan. -- For the fourth time in the last five years, the OU baseball team rebounded to win a series against Kansas State after dropping the opening game. Joe Dunigan's grand slam during the seven-run third inning powered OU to a 12-4 victory on Sunday at Tointon Stadium.

After snapping a four-game skid with Saturday's 20-9 victory, OU improved to 27-15 overall and 7-8 in Big 12 play with Sunday's win. The loss takes Kansas State's overall mark to 25-15 and its Big 12 record to 6-9.

“The coaching staff is really proud of the team's effort throughout this whole weekend, even though Friday didn't turn out the way we would have like it to,” said OU head coach Sunny Golloway. “From start to finish, our guys were really focused today and felt good about what was going to happen.”

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Making his first career start, Nich Conaway lasted a career-high six innings and allowed four runs on six hits and one walk. Conaway also tied a season high with seven strikeouts to improve to 3-1. The hurler ranks second on the team with 60 strikeouts, a mark he has established in 41 1/3 innings of work this season.

OU took a quick 1-0 lead with Ryan Mottern's RBI single in the first inning but Kansas State responded in its first at-bat to take a 2-1 lead on Byron Wiley's two-run homer to left field.

The Sooners batted around the lineup in the third to regain the lead with seven runs off four hits. Four of those runs came off the bat of Joe Dunigan, who connected for his first career grand slam. Despite 25 mph wind blowing out to left field, Dunigan took Ben Hornbeck deep to right.

Also in the third inning, Mottern connected for another RBI single and Aaron Ivey's triple to the gap in right-center field plated Zach Hedges, who reached base earlier in the inning on a deep fly ball to center field that was ruled an error off the glove of Wiley.

As the Sooners gave Conaway an 8-2 lead, the sophomore responded by surrendering seven straight batters after Wiley's homer, two via the strikeout. However, KSU battled back with another long ball, this time by Drew Biery, over the fence in left.

“He pitched well today and really forced the issue by pounding the strike zone,” said Golloway following Conaway's performance on the mound. “He came back (after the two-run homer in the first) and mixed well.”

April 22

Baseball Video Archive

Coach Golloway recaps the weekend against Kansas State

The Sooners' head coach talks about Nich Conaway's first start

Joe Dunigan talks about his offensive performance

The Sooners added extra insurance on Joseph Hughes sacrifice fly and Jackson Williams two-run single in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively.

Aaron Reza capped the day's scoring with a solo home run in the eighth inning, his second homer of the season (third on the year).

OU finished the series against Kansas State with 38 runs of 43 hits, including seven home runs after entering the weekend without a long ball in eight straight games (April 3 vs. TCU). The last time OU played in Manhattan, the Sooners connected for nine homers.

Hornbeck took the loss for the Wildcats, dropping to 2-2 after surrendering seven runs on five hits and three walks in 2 1/3 innings.

Andrew Doyle (2/3 IP) and Garrett Richards (2 1/3 IP) finished the game for OU. Offensively, Dunigan finished 2-for-5 with four RBIs and Reza and Mottern each collected two hits. In addition, Williams drove in three runs.

The Sooners will return to action Tuesday at Texas Arlington before returning home to host Kansas next weekend.