Sooners Lose Lead, Game One to OSU

TULSA, Okla. -- The Oklahoma Sooners (28-18 overall, 8-11 Big 12) lost a four-run lead and an 8-7 ball game on Friday against No. 19 Oklahoma State (32-13, 11-8) in game one of the Bedlam Series at Drillers Stadium in front of 11,184 fans.

OU led 7-5 after its at-bat in the seventh inning, but back-to-back home runs by Rebel Ridling (two-run) and Jordy Mercer (solo) were the difference in OSU's seventh straight win in Tulsa.

OU reliever Nich Conaway (3-3) took the loss after surrendering the homers in the seventh. Brandon Adams improved to 2-0 with two thirds of relief work and Justin Friend earned his sixth save with the final two innings of spotless work.

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The Cowboys' offense, which entered the weekend leading the Big 12 in batting average, connected for 10 hits, opposite OU's eight, and were led by Ty Wright's three base knocks. Wright, Tyler Mach and Ridling each drove in two runs.

“I have been around this game a long time and tonight was one of those where you really have to tip your cap to your opponent,” said OU head coach Sunny Golloway. “We need to bounce back tomorrow and even this series in Oklahoma City.”

OU's Aaron Baker scored the game's first run after reaching base on an error to lead off the second frame. Baker moved up to second base on Brandon Moss' hit by pitch and to third on a passed ball before scoring on Jackson William's ground out to second. Moss later scored in the inning on Aljay Davis' grounder to short to give the Sooners a 2-0 lead.

The Cowboys narrowed the gap with an unearned run in the bottom of the third. After Corey Brown drove a two-out, single up the middle, he scored from first on Sooner third baseman Zach Hedges' throwing error off Tyler Mach's grounder.

The Sooners scored another pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning. Baker was responsible for the first run on a sacrifice fly to center field, plating Aaron Reza who tripled to lead off the frame. Williams increased the OU lead to three runs, 4-1, on his third homer of the year, a solo shot to left field.

The OU lead was again cut down to one run after Mach's two-run double to deep center field in the bottom of the fifth.

In the top of sixth, the Sooner offense again countered with three runs on Mike Gosse's pinch-hit, two-run single with the bases loaded. The 7-3 lead was short lived as OSU came back with two runs in the bottom half of the inning to chase Stephen Porlier out of the game.

Porlier lasted 5 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts and four earned runs on eight hits and two walks. The Sooners' counterpart, Jeff Breedlove, finished with 5 1/3 innings of work after seven runs, four earned, on five hits and three walks.

The Sooners and Cowboys will resume the three-game set on Saturday at 7:35 p.m. in Oklahoma City at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark.

NOTES:
The Sooners fell to 17-5 when scoring first this season ... OU also lost just its second game of the season when scoring six or more runs to fall to 9-2 (also lost to Kansas State in game one) ... In the last 15 games in the Bedlam Series (including postseason), the team that scores first is 10-5, including OU's 4-2 mark in that span ... After plating OU's first run in the second and hitting a solo homer in the fourth, Jackson Williams collected his 10th and 11th RBIs in the last eight games ... The homer in the fourth extended Williams' hitting streak to a career-high eight games and was the 10th long ball of Williams' career (second in the Bedlam Series - game one in 2005) ... Stephen Porlier struck out seven batters to add onto his league leading 79 heading into Friday's game ... Porlier has 51 strikeouts in seven Big 12 starts.

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