OU Drops Bedlam Opener in Tulsa

May 16, 2008

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
OSU	1	3	0	0	1	0	1	0	1	7	14	0
OU	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	8	0

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Oliver (6-2)	8.0	7	1	1	2	7
L - Blue (6-3)	4.0	9	5	5	1	0
S - none	-	-	-	-	-	-

Batting Leaders	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
OSU - Ridling	5	1	3	2	0	1
OU - Sperring	4	0	3	0	1	0

Game Notes
With an single in the first inning, Trey Sperring extended his season-best hitting streak to 11 games ... Sperring has hit safely in 16 of the last 17 contests ... J.T. Wise has driven in 13 runs in the last nine games after a sacrifice fly in the first inning ... Since the series opener moved to Tulsa in 1991, OU is 9-9 and has dropped the last eight meetings after winning nine of the first 10 games played at Drillers Stadium ... Friday's attendance (11,232) was the second highest in Tulsa Bedlam history behind the 11,262 on hand in 2006.

Sooner Baseball Central

2008 OU Baseball Media Guide

TULSA, Okla. -- The Oklahoma Sooners were unable to overcome a three-run third inning on Friday as No. 9 Oklahoma State claimed a 7-1 victory in the opener of the Ford Bedlam Series in front of 11,232 fans at Drillers Stadium. The Sooners have lost eight consecutive games in Tulsa and will look to even the three-game series on Saturday at Bricktown Ballpark.

The loss drops Oklahoma's overall record to 31-22-1 and into ninth place in the Big 12 standings with an 8-16-1 mark. Oklahoma State jumped to 39-14 and 17-8 with the win.

With a 4-1 lead after the second inning, Oklahoma State's Andrew Oliver (6-2) cruised in the start with one run allowed off seven hits over eight innings.

"I thought Andrew Oliver was the difference tonight," said OU head coach Sunny Golloway. "We lost last Friday and it was disappointing at home against K-State and came back and secured victory on Saturday. And that will be our focus now, to come back and win tomorrow and look at Sunday when it arrives. Tomorrow is the key for us right now to try and even the series."

The game got off to a quick start as the rivals exchanged single runs in the first inning. The Cowboys struck first as Rebel Ridling's double hit deep to center field plated Matt Hague who singled in the previous at-bat with two outs. Ridling led OSU with a three hits and two RBIs.

Jamie Johnson helped OU quickly counter in the bottom of the first and led off the frame with a double off the left-field wall. Aljay Davis' single gave the Sooners runners on first and second with zero outs and Mike Gosse sacrificed both runners into scoring position. J.T. Wise recorded the second out of the frame, but not before he could bring home Johnson on a sacrifice fly to left field.

In the top of the second, the Cowboys regained the lead on Thomas Belza's RBI double. Donnie Webb followed with a two-run single to give OSU a 4-1 lead. The Cowboys benefitted from a fielder's choice with a runner on first base to begin the frame, as the Sooners were unable to turn a double play to keep a runner on base to start the three-run frame.

Oklahoma State extended its lead in the top of the fifth on Hague's solo homer to lead off the frame. The homer marked the end of the night for OU starter C.J. Blue (6-3) who lasted four innings and allowed five runs off nine hits and a walk.

The Cowboys added a pair of runs late, one each in the seventh and eighth innings to win their seventh straight regular season game over the Sooners.

Offensively for Oklahoma, Trey Sperring led the way with three hits and found himself in scoring position off each base knock but was unable to score. The Sooners' biggest opportunity came in the bottom of the second inning when they had the bases loaded on Oliver, but stranded the first of nine runners left on base throughout the game.

The series shifts to Oklahoma City on Saturday and Sunday. Game two is slated for a 7:35 p.m. first pitch on Saturday at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark and will be broadcast on KOKC 1520 AM following OU softball action from Norman. The Ford Bedlam Series concludes on Sunday at 4 p.m.

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