Tigers Rally Late, Top Sooners

April 18, 2008

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Mizzou	0	1	0	0	0	0	5	3	0	9	11	3
OU	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	8	1

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Crow (9-0)	7.2	7	4	4	2	8
L - Rocha (3-2)	0.1	2	3	3	0	0
S - none	-	-	-	-	-	-

Batting Leaders	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
Mizzou - Folgia	5	2	3	4	0	-
OU - J. Johnson	5	1	3	2	0	-

Sooner Baseball Central

2008 OU Baseball Media Guide

NORMAN, Okla. -- The Oklahoma Sooners let one slip away on Friday in the series opener with No. 11 Missouri. OU led 4-1 after six innings but the OU bullpen surrendered seven runs in a 9-4 defeat in front of 1,039 fans at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

Despite a solid outing from OU starter Jeremy Erben and the offense scoring four runs early on Missouri's Aaron Crow, who leads the nation with nine wins after Friday's game, the Sooners fell to 24-14-1 overall and 3-9-1 in Big 12 play. The Tigers improved to 27-9 overall and 8-5 in Big 12 play after driving in nine runs off 11 hits.

"Obviously a disappointing result," said OU head coach Sunny Golloway. "You have to tip your cap to your opponent after they came back on the road to win behind their ace. Crow is a special starter and put together a gutsy performance tonight."

The Sooners struck first with a pair of home runs off Missouri starter Aaron Crow in the first inning. Jamie Johnson led off the game with his third home run of the season. Two batters later, Mike Gosse doubled down the left-field line and then with two outs, Aaron Baker connected for his third home run of the season on a full count. Baker's two-run shot gave the Sooners' an early 3-0 lead.

The Tigers countered in the top of the second inning when Andrew Thigpen singled in Ryan Lollis.

In the bottom of the second inning, OU regained the three-run lead as Jamie Johnson connected off Crow again, this time with a RBI single to score Bryant Hernandez. With hits in his first two at-bats, Johnson recorded his 10th multi-hit performance in the last 19 games and has 11 RBIs in that span.

Aside from the one run allowed in the second inning, OU starter Jeremy Erben was solid in his fifth straight Big 12 start. Erben lasted six innings (two runs, three hits) and was relieved by Michael Rocha (3-1) after he walked the leadoff batter in the seventh.

Rocha loaded the bases with one out and lost the lead as Greg Folgia tied the ball game at four runs apiece with a bases-clearing double to left center field. Rocha was quickly relieved by Mark Guest and then Garrett Richards as they combined to walk three batters and allow two more runs to cross the plate. C.J. Blue finally ended the inning with a ground out to second as Missouri stranded the bases loaded by held its first lead, 6-4 after seven innings.

In the top of the eighth, Missouri added a trio of insurance runs with Andrew Thigpen's RBI single and RBI doubles off the bats of Folgia (3-for-5, four RBIs) and Jacob Priday.

The Sooners loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth on Crow, but were unsuccessful in mounting a rally. Crow improved to 9-0 with eight strikeouts after allowing four runs off seven hits over 7 2/3 innings.

Jamie Johnson led the Sooner offense, which stranded nine base runners, with three hits and two RBIs.

The three-game series continues in Norman on Saturday at 2 p.m. The first 1,000 fans will receive free OU trading cards and the game will be broadcast live on KOKC 1520 AM.

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