Williamson Leads OU Past Texas Tech

NORMAN, Okla. -- Senior Cory Williamson was a single shy of the hitting for the cycle as Oklahoma recorded a 6-5 victory over Texas Tech on Friday at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

The Sooners held on after the Red Raiders rallied from a 5-0 deficit with four runs in the top of the sixth and a single score in the ninth. Stephen Porlier lasted seven innings and earned his seventh win of the season with five strikeouts, while Andrew Doyle recorded his first career save.

Porlier held Texas Tech scoreless until the sixth inning, which began with back-to-back doubles but ended in a spectacular catch by Joseph Hughes. Hughes saved the potential game-tying run in the sixth inning on Jason Seefeld's ball hit deep to the gap in right. Not only did Hughes make the catch on a full-extension dive to his left, which would have been extra bases for Seefeld, but he also managed to get the relay throw to first base in time to double up Taylor Ashby and end the inning.

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Doyle tossed the last two innings to earn his first save of the year and did so just four days after notching his first career victory on Monday against Stephen F. Austin.

With Friday's win, the Sooners took an early 1-0 lead in the series and improved to 31-22 overall and 10-15 in Big 12 play. The Red Raiders fell to 27-26 and 7-17 despite outhitting the Sooners 10-5.

“This was a gutty performance for our guys to win a clutch game,” said OU head coach Sunny Golloway. “Texas Tech clearly came out and put its best effort on the field and we were able to get the lead and hold on.”

The Sooners struck first in their first at-bat on Joe Dunigan's 10th homer of the season. The solo shot to right was the first of two runs in the frame as OU tacked on another off Williamson's double and an error by Texas Tech right fielder Roger Kieschnick.

In the third inning, Oklahoma increased the lead to five runs thanks to another unearned run and a sacrifice fly by Jackson Williams and Williamson's run-scoring triple.

After Texas Tech narrowed the gap to 6-4 in the sixth inning, A.J. Ramos allowed the final run of his outing in the bottom half of the frame on Williamson's solo homer down the right-field line.

“Cory's home run came up big for us in the end,” added Golloway. “I was really proud of him and the rest of the guys tonight for coming out and taking this first game.”

Ramos took the loss and dropped to 8-5 after allowing six runs, four earned, on five hits and four walks in seven innings.

Williamson had one shot to complete the cycle in the eighth but flew out to center field. Williamson finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs to lead the Sooners' offense as Aaron Ivey and Dunigan collected OU's remaining hits. Ivey's single in the seventh extended his hitting streak to 13 games, a career high, while Dunigan set a career-high after hitting safely in his 10th consecutive game.

The Sooners and Red Raiders will resume the series with game two on Saturday in Norman. The contest is slated for a 3 p.m. first pitch and will feature OU's Heath Taylor (8-3, 3.69 ERA) against Texas Tech's Colt Hynes (3-6, 5.82 ERA). The first 500 fans will receive a free OU mini-bat.

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