Doyle Leads OU Past Missouri, 2-1

April 3, 2009

No. 10 OU 2, Missouri 1 | Box Score

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
OU	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	2	6	1
MU	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	X	1	4	0

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Doyle (4-2)	8.0	4	1	1	0	6
L - Gibson (4-3)	9.0	6	2	2	1	15
S - Duke (6)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1

Batting Leaders	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
OU - Buechele	3	0	1	1	0	0
OU - Hernandez	4	0	3	0	0	1

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COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The 1,097 fans on hand at Taylor Stadium left the ball game with no doubt that it was Friday night in the Big 12, as No. 10 Oklahoma topped Missouri 2-1 in a pitchers' dual.

OU starter Andrew Doyle battled Missouri starter Kyle Gibson, considered by some outlets as the top Big 12 pitching prospect in the upcoming draft, for eight innings during Friday's Big 12 series opener. While Gibson went the distance and struck out 15 batters, Doyle held the Tigers hitless for four frames, and scoreless until the sixth.

The Sooners' hurler turned in his longest outing of the season with eight innings pitched and struck out six while allowing four hits. Doyle improved to 4-2 while Gibson dropped to 4-3 after surrendering two runs off six hits. Ryan Duke pitched a perfect ninth to record his sixth save of the season.

"It was a great game pitched by both guys," said OU Head Coach Sunny Golloway. "You have to tip your cap to both pitchers. Doyle pitched terrific and the only guy that scores on him reached base on a strikeout. He did an outstanding job and proved he is every bit as good as Gibson and deserved to win tonight.

"We have won a lot of different ways (this season). We needed to really win a tight, combatted pitchers' dual and that's what we had tonight."

The Sooners outhit the Tigers, 6-4, and were led by Bryant Hernandez and his three-hit performance. With two outs in the fourth inning, Hernandez connected for OU's first hit in the game, a single down the left-field line that extended his hitting streak to 12 games. Hernandez, who entered the game with the Big 12's top batting average at .443, tied his career best for a hitting streak, an impressive span that has featured eight multi-hit performances and 24 hits overall.

After four scoreless innings between both clubs, the Sooners struck first in the top of the fifth. J.T. Wise scored the first run on a play that started with a pickoff at first base with Casey Johnson at the bag but results in a double steal and a 1-0 OU lead. Garrett Buechele extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a single through the left side of the infield to give the Sooners a 2-0 advantage.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Tigers finally got to Doyle and cut the lead in half with a RBI single by Ryan Lollis. Ryan Gebhart scored the run after reaching base on a strikeout and a wild pitch. Missouri could have potentially tied the game at two runs apiece but Jaime Johnson gunned down Michael Liberto, who was trying to advance from first to third on Lollis' single.

Doyle got more help from the Sooners' defense in the seventh inning, as the Tigers' threat was ended by another stellar play. With one out, Trevor Coleman stole second base but J.T. Wise answered and threw behind the runner to pick him off.

"It was a lot of fun," said Doyle. "The offense came through when we needed it to and so did the defense. They played great behind me tonight, especially with J.T. picking the guy off at second and Jaime throwing out the runner at third."

The Sooners resume the three-game series at Missouri on Saturday, April 4 at 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on KOKC 1520 AM and televised by Fox Sports Midwest. The telecast will be available for Cox customers in Oklahoma on Channel 7 in OKC and Ch. 3 in Tulsa.

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