Sooners Claim Game One Victory

No. 12 OU 6, Missouri 4 | Box Score (PDF)

Zach Neal lasted a career-high eight innings on Friday.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
MU	1	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	1	4	11	1
OU	2	0	1	0	0	0	3	0	X	6	12	1

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Neal (4-1)	8.0	9	3	2	1	5
L - Tepesch (2-2)	7.0	10	6	3	1	5
SV - Duke (10)	1.0	2	1	1	0	1

Batting Leaders	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
OU - Bushyhead	4	0	3	0	0	0
MU - Senne	5	0	3	0	0	0

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April 9, 2010

NORMAN, Okla. -- Zach Neal improved to 4-1 with a career-high eight innings and Ryan Duke recorded his Big 12-leading 10th save of the year as No. 12 Oklahoma topped Missouri, 6-4, in game one on Friday at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

The Sooners (24-6 overall, 4-4 Big 12) trailed 1-0 after the top of the first but after Jack Mayfield's two-run single in the bottom half of the frame, OU never looked back.

The Tigers (17-12, 2-5) would tie the game at three runs apiece in the top of the seventh, but once again OU rallied in the home half of the inning with three runs. Cameron Seitzer (1-for-3) drove in two of those scores in the decisive frame off his team-leading eighth home run of the year. Max White, who finished with two hits in the leadoff spot, drove in the other run with a sacrifice fly.

"I think he felt redemption," said OU Head Coach Sunny Golloway on Seitzer's two-out homer. "Cam understands that a lot is on his shoulders. He's one of the veterans, even though he is young and he got hurt late in the year last year. He is still one of our veteran hitters and veteran hitters have to play big in big games. So they have to show up and they have to perform, and he did."

While Seitzer provided the only longball of the night, White's sacrifice fly was one of five between the teams as the Tigers scored three of their four runs off fly ball outs.

Thanks to 12 hits, Neal settled down after the first and put together his third straight solid start with two earned runs allowed off nine hits and a walk. Neal struck out five batters and has 25 strikeouts and one walk in his last three outings.

The eight-inning start was the longest by a Sooner in 2010 and paved the way for Ryan Duke to record his 10th save of the year. The total leads the Big 12 and also marks the first time a Sooner hurler has recorded double-digit saves in more than one season (16 in 2009). Duke owns 26 career saves and trails Jeff Bajenaru, who is the program's leader with 28. Bajenaru had 20 saves in 2000.

Missouri struck first on a sacrifice fly by Dane Opel in the top of the first but any further damage was limited as Neal settled down after allowing a single and a double to begin the game.

"That was big," said Golloway on Neal battling in the first. "He made some really good pitches. For him to get out of second and third with no outs, I was extremely excited in the dugout and I think the guys fed off that."

OU immediately countered in the home half of the first on Mayfield's two-out, two-run single into right field.

The OU lead was extended to two runs on Seitzer's team-leading 28th RBI of the season, a sacrifice fly to left field to plate Chris Ellison, who tripled to lead off the frame.

Caleb Bushyhead had a game-high three hits on the day as the Sooners pounded out double-digit hits for the second straight game (11 vs. TCU on Tuesday). Nick Tepesch, who was 3-0 against OU prior to Friday, lasted seven innings but fell to 2-3 on the year after surrendering six runs (three earned) off 10 hits.

Game two in the series on Saturday will get underway at 2 p.m. with OU's Bobby Shore (4-1, 2.21 ERA) facing Missouri's Eric Anderson (1-1, 3.94 ERA). The game will be broadcast live on the Sooner Sports Network on KREF 1400 AM and televised on Fox Sports Southwest (Cox Ch. 37 in Oklahoma Ciy).

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