OU Tops TCU, 5-4, in the 12th

April 15, 2008

FORT WORTH, Texas -- It wasn't easy, but the OU baseball team remained undefeated in mid week games (12-0) and extra innings (4-0-1), as J.T. Wise's sacrifice fly in the 12th inning proved to be the difference in a 5-4 win at TCU on Tuesday night.

The win snapped a four-game skid for Oklahoma (23-13-1) and also ended TCU's (23-13) nine-game winning streak.

The Sooners held a 4-1 lead going into the bottom of the ninth, but were unable to hold the TCU offense at bay and the game entered extra innings. Chase Anderson (3-2) recorded his first win since March 18 holding the Horned Frogs hitless over the final 3 1/3 innings.

OU manufactured the run after Tyson Seng walked to lead off the 12th inning and stole his eighth base of the season to move to second base. After TCU hit Aljay Davis, Mike Gosse moved both runners into scoring position to bring up Wise for the game-winning at-bat. Wise handed Andrew Cashner (7-2) the loss after one hit allowed over three innings of relief.

"We faced some really good pitching today and we had to find some different ways to beat them," said OU head coach Sunny Golloway. "The adversity we faced and to find a `W' today, in the fashion we had to find it, I was really proud of our guys."

The Horned Frogs scored the game's first run in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Ben Carruthers. The out plated Matt Vern who doubled to lead off the frame, but the run was unearned after Vern advanced to third on a failed pick-off play.

OU's Ryan Duke was making his third start of the season and first since March 4 (North Dakota State). Duke lasted five innings, matching his previous two starts, and allowed one unearned run off four hits and two walks.

In the top of the sixth, the Sooners threatened to tie the game as Jamie Johnson roped a triple to center field with two outs. Despite hitting safely for the 10th time in the last 11 games, Johnson was unable to score as Aljay Davis struck out to end the frame. The extra-base hit also gave Johnson his ninth multi-hit game in that span.

The Sooners took the lead on TCU starter Seth Garrison in the top of the seventh with two runs on three hits. Mike Gosse led off the frame with a single to center field and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by J.T. Wise. After a walk was issued to Aaron Baker, Casey Johnson singled in Gosse to tie the game at one apiece.

The Sooners' seventh continued as Bryant Hernandez singled to left field to set up a bases loaded situation for Trey Sperring. That sparked a pitching change for TCU as Eric Marshall relieved Garrison. Sperring helped OU take a 2-1 lead on a ground out to first base, scoring Baker from third. OU was unable to add extra insurance and stranded two base runners to end the inning.

After Duke kept OU in the ball game after five innings, Garrett Richards relieved him to begin the sixth inning. Richards pitched himself into a based loaded jam, he struck out Vern to end the threat. Richards got into trouble again in the seventh by walking the first batter, but again ended the inning with zero damage.

In the bottom of the eighth, Richards again walked the leadoff batter and was relieved by Jake McCarter. The Sooners' closer got the first two outs of the inning off a nicely executed 4-6-3 double play and ended the frame on a ground out to second base.

The Sooners increased the lead to three runs after Hernandez drove in a run on a ground out and Tyson Seng plated the fourth run on a RBI single up the middle of the infield. Headed to the bottom of the ninth, OU led 4-1.

McCarter was not as lucky in the ninth, blowing the Sooner lead as the Horned Frogs tied the game at four runs apiece. With runners on first and second and two outs, Anderson got Bryan Holaday to line out to first base which ended the threat and sent the game to extra innings.

OU will host Southern Nazarene on Wednesday at 3 p.m. before welcoming No. 11 Missouri to Norman for a three-game set over the weekend. The series, which begins on Friday at 6:30 p.m., marks the Sooners fifth straight ranked opponent in Big 12 play

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