Baseball Sweeps Doubleheader

March 8, 2008

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
WIU	0	0	0	0	0	4	0	-	-	4	9	1
OU	3	0	0	3	0	1	X	-	-	7	9	0

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Rocha (2-0)	5.2	8	4	4	2	1
L - Tolsma (0-1)	5.0	8	6	5	1	2
S - McCarter (3)	1.1	1	0	0	0	2

Batting Leaders	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
WIU - Stewart	3	1	2	3	0	1
OU - Gosse	4	2	2	2	0	2

Sooner Baseball Central

2008 OU Baseball Media Guide

NORMAN, Okla. -Freshman pitcher Michael Rocha held Western Illinois scoreless for the first five innings and the OU offense connected for four home runs en route to a 7-4 win in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader at L. Dale Mitchell Park. Senior Mike Gosse drove two balls out of the yard to lead OU to its eighth straight victory.

The Sooners (11-2) won game one of Saturday's doubleheader, 11-6, and enter Sunday's series finale against Western Illinois (0-5) with a 3-0 lead.

Rocha (2-0) began Saturday's game with a streak of 10 scoreless innings and extended it to 15 before giving up back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning. Rocha allowed four runs off eight hits before giving way to senior Jake McCarter. Rocha lasted 5 2/3 innings and McCarter pitched the final 1 1/3 to record his third save of the season.

"We continue to develop each game and we are pleased to see that out of this young team," said OU head coach Sunny Golloway. "We need to keep getting better with every game as Big 12 play is right around the corner."

Before surrendering the four runs in the sixth inning, OU held a 6-0 lead.

The Sooners began the game with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Gosse led off the game with a solo home run and sophomore Aaron Baker and junior J.T. Wise followed with an RBI single and RBI double, respectively.

Gosse's offensive day did not end in the first frame as the British Columbia native added another solo homer in the fourth inning. Gosse also led off the game against Houston earlier this season with a home run and added another in his next at bat. The senior is enjoying an eight-game hitting streak and leads the Sooners with five home runs.

Oklahoma added two more runs in the fourth inning as junior Trey Sperring added a home run of his own, his first of the year, on a two-run bomb to left field.

After the Leathernecks narrowed the gap to two runs in the sixth inning, OU added insurance in the bottom half of the frame. The OU offense received another home run off the bat of freshman Tyson Seng. Like Sperring, Seng connected for his first long ball of the year but his was a solo shot down the left-field line.

Western Illinois starter Travis Tolsma (0-1) gave up six runs, five earned, on eight hits scattered through five innings. The Leathernecks equaled the Sooners hit total with nine and were led by Brett Pendell, Drew Laidig and Cooper Stewart, who each had two base knocks. Stewart drove in a game-high three runs.

Sunday's series finale is slated for a noon first pitch and will feature senior RHP Ryan Mottern against the Leathernecks' Ben Percival. The game can be heard live on KOKC 1520 AM with Chuck Kelly and DeWayne Vaughn providing the on-air talent.

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