OU Splits Four-Game Series at WSU

March 1, 2009

Washington State 10, No. 16 OU 6 | Box Score

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

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Shewey (1-0)	2.1	2	0	0	2	2
L - Robinson (1-1)	3.0	8	7	6	2	2

Batting Leaders	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
OU - J. Johnson	3	2	2	2	2	1
WSU - Vucinich	5	2	3	3	0	2

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PULLMAN, Wash. -- The No. 16 OU baseball team split a four-game series at Washington State after suffering a 10-6 loss on Sunday in the series finale.

The loss drops OU to 7-3 while Washington State improves to 2-5. WSU hit three homers in the game, two from Shea Vucinich, and built a 7-3 lead after three innings to end the weekend with a 2-2 series split.

OU ended the six-game road trip with a 3-3 mark.

The Sooners took an early 1-0 advantage on Jamie Johnson's leadoff double. Johnson advanced to third base on a wild pitch and scored on Matt Harughty's RBI groundout. However, the Sooners would trail for the remainder of the game as starter J.R. Robinson (1-1) was tagged for seven runs, six earned.

“This road trip was a learning experience for us,” said OU Head Coach Sunny Golloway. “We fell behind early and were never able to come back today. J.R. struggled but I was encouraged by Chase's (Anderson) outing. This team is talented and has an opportunity to be special, so we need to learn from today and this week and come back strong at home.”

Oklahoma's early 1-0 lead was short lived as the Cougars hit two home runs off Robinson in the bottom of the first. Vucinich led off the game with a solo shot and after a single and a strikeout, Jared Prince drove a two-run shot over the fence in left field. Washington State increased its 3-1 lead with a RBI double by Alex Burg off Robinson.

The Sooners countered in the top of the second inning by loading the bases, but could only muster one run on Matt Harughty's walk that plated Garrett Buechele. In the top half of the third inning, OU chipped another run off the Cougars' lead with a RBI groundout by Bryant Hernandez. The first out of the inning plated Aaron Baker after he tripled to lead off the third.

WSU increased its' one-run lead in the bottom of the third with three runs off two hits. The Cougars caught a break off Burg's single to left field which was bobbled by Casey Johnson and allowed two runs to score.

Jamie Johnson (2-for-3, 2 runs, 2 RBIs) connected for his third home run of the season in the fourth to bring home J.T. Wise after his leadoff walk. The home was the eighth of Johnson's career and it eventually ended WSU starter Chad Arnold's day. Arnold left the contest two batters later and finished the game with 3 2/3 innings of work with five runs allowed off three hits and seven walks. Arnolds' relief, Paris Shewey, recorded the win for WSU with 2 1/3 innings of scoreless work.

OU's Robinson was relieved by Chase Anderson in the fourth inning. The reliever bounced back after struggling on Friday night during the series opener and held WSU scoreless in the fourth and fifth frames with four strikeouts. Anderson tied a career high with six strikeouts before giving way to Tyson Seng.

Hernandez extended his hitting streak to 11 games in the fifth inning, dating back to last season, and has hit safely in every game this season with eight multiple-hit performances. The Sooners were able to put three runners on base in the fifth inning but were held scoreless in the inning.

OU broke the scoreless trend in the top of the seventh as Hernandez scored on a head's up play from third base. Jeremy Johnson, who recorded the save, delivered a wild pitch to score the run and cut the lead to 7-6.

Washington State finally broke through off the OU bullpen in the bottom of the seventh as Anderson left the game after walking Matt Fanelli to start the frame. Tyson Seng became the third pitcher to enter the game on Sunday in relief of Anderson. Seng battled out of the jam with two quick outs but a run came across on Greg Lagreid's single up the middle for an 8-6 lead.

The Sooners return home for their next contest as they host Arkansas Little Rock in a doubleheader on March 3 starting at 1 p.m. The second game will begin approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one at L. Dale Mitchell Park. The doubleheader marks the start of Oklahoma's longest home stand of 2009 with eight games. OU will host No. 9 UCLA in a three-game set over the weekend before welcoming California on Monday, March 9 and Houston Baptist on March 10 and 11.

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