No. 11 Toreros Hand OU First Loss

Feb. 25, 2009

No. 11 San Diego 10, No. 16 OU 7 | Box Score |

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
OU	0	5	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	7	14	3
USD	0	2	0	6	2	0	0	0	X	10	11	2

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Thomson (1-0)	5.0	8	5	5	4	7
L - Rocha (0-1)	3.2	7	7	6	2	3

Batting Leaders	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
OU - Hernandez	5	1	4	1	0	0
USD - Walters	5	1	3	1	0	0

GAME NOTES
The Sooners batted through the lineup for the fifth time this season in the second inning of Wednesday's game ... In his fourth opportunity with the bases loaded in his career, Bryant Hernandez connected for an RBI single in the second ... Hernandez extended his hitting streak to seven games, dating back to last season, and each of his six games this season have been multiple-hit performances, a team high ... After USD took an 8-6 lead in the bottom of the fourth,it marked the first time this season that the Sooners trailed after the first four frames ... Tyson Seng was effective in relief on Wednesday allowing one hit and one walk in 3 2/3 innings ... Seng has not allowed a run and just two hits in his 5 2/3 innings of work this year ... OU leads the all-time series with San Diego 3-2.

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SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- No. 16 Oklahoma's rally fell short in a 10-7 loss at the hands of No. 11 San Diego at Cunningham Stadium on Wednesday. The loss was the first of the season for the 5-1 Sooners as the Toreros improved to 3-2.

Oklahoma jumped on the board first with five runs in the second inning, but San Diego crossed the plate 10 times in its next four at-bats. The Sooners put runners in scoring position late, and scored two runs in the seventh, but were unable to regain the lead, despite out hitting San Diego, 14-11.

“We competed hard but we were not sharp on the mound,” said OU Head Coach Sunny Golloway. “You are always disappointed when you lose, but you can't be discouraged. We have to start focusing on the next series and continue to get better. Washington State looms large for us and we are looking forward to getting up there.”

The Sooners struck first on Wednesday with Kaleb Herren's RBI double which plated Casey Johnson, who walked to begin the second inning. After an intentional walk to Jamie Johnson loaded the bases, Matt Harughty drew a walk to bring in Garrett Buechele, who singled behind Casey Johnson's walk. Another free pass was issued to the next Sooner Aaron Baker but in the form of a hit-by-pitch. Baker's at-bat brought in the third run of the inning and a wild pitch by USD starter Matt Thomson gave OU a 4-0 lead. Bryant Hernandez capped off the scoring with an RBI single and finished the game with a career-high four hits.

In the bottom of the second, the Toreros countered with two runs off OU starter Michael Rocha. Zach Walters drove in the first run on a single to left field and Kevin Muno came up three batters later and drove in a run on a double to left-center field.

The momentum switched in the fourth inning as San Diego continued to chip away at the Sooners' lead with a solo home run by MIke Lugo and a RBI single by Sean Nicol. The Toreros took the lead on James Meador's two-run double off Rocha, a hit that ended the afternoon for the Sooners' starter, but it was not the end of the rally. San Diego tacked on two more runs before inning's end, one of which charged to Rocha and the other to reliever Jason Chowning.

Rocha (0-1) finished the game with seven runs allowed, six earned, off seven hits and two walks in 3 2/3 innings of action. USD starter Matt Thomson (1-0) tossed five innings and struck out seven Sooners while allowing five runs off eight hits in the win.

The Sooners put on two runners in the top of the sixth inning, with one out, but USD sent in All-American A.J. Griffin, who struck out two straight OU batters to end the threat.

Oklahoma got back on the board in the seventh inning as Hernandez scored on an error after his double led off the inning. Herren drove in the second run of the frame, also on a double, to chase Griffin out of the game, but that was all OU could muster in the frame as USD brought in weekend starter Kyle Blair to end the Sooners' rally.

OU stranded an opportunity in the first inning. After Thomson recorded two quick outs to begin the game, the Sooners strung together three two-out singles but the potential go-ahead run was thrown out at the plate to end the frame.

The Sooners also had a play at the plate go in USD's favor as Jamie Johnson, who tripled with two outs, tried to score on a wild pitch by Thomson in the third. Unfortunately, the ball bounced perfectly off the back stop and into catcher Steven Chatwood's glove and his relay back to the pitcher was in time to apply the tag.

OU's second longest road trip of the season, in terms of games played, continues this weekend as it heads to Pullman, Wash., for a four-game series with Washington State. The series begins on Friday, Feb. 27 at 5:30 p.m. CST at Bailey-Brayton Field.

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