No. 15 Sooners Down Hartford 9-6

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Hartford	0	0	2	0	0	0	2	0	2	6	10	4
Oklahoma	0	2	2	1	1	1	0	2	0	9	11	0

Box Score (PDF) |

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Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W-Overton (1-0)	6.1	8	4	4	4	7
L-Thatcher (0-1)	3.1	7	5	3	1	3
S-NONE	-	-	-	-	-	-

Leaders	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
OU - Lockwood	5	2	2	3	0	2
UH- Kudernatsch	5	2	4	1	0	0

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NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 15 Sooners moved back to .500 on Friday afternoon after a 9-6 victory over Hartford in front of 1,073 fans at L. Dale Mitchell Park, OU's 32nd straight home-opening win.

Freshman catcher Hunter Lockwood hit two homers in the contest, including a two-run shot to the opposite field in the bottom of the third, to put the Sooners ahead 4-2. Fellow newcomer Matt Oberste collected his fifth hit of the season on a single up the middle in the third and drove in a run off a fly ball in the fourth.

"It's a good feeling just to come up for the team, to put us up by two," said Lockwood. "It's a rush to be able to play our first game here (at home) and put on a show for the fans."

Lockwood came back in the sixth inning and hit a solo shot into a stiff wind blowing in from right field that put OU ahed 5-2. The freshman's power to both fields is nothing new to the coaching staff.

"He's just strong," said Head Coach Sunny Golloway. "We have a lot of strong players. Its a pretty physical lineup."

The season-high nine runs came off 11 hits, including two base knocks from Lockwood, Evan Mistich and Max White.

Oklahoma manufactured a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning to take an early 2-0 lead. The Sooners laid down three bunts in the frame, including a sacrifice squeeze by Jack Mayfield with the bases loaded.

Down 2-0, the Hawks countered in the top of the third inning off OU starter Dillon Overton. After Lockwood put the Sooners back up by two runs in the bottom half of the third, Overton settled down and lasted six innings to record his first win of the year. Overton tossed a career-high 103 pitches and did not allow another run after the third and finished with seven strikeouts on the afternoon.

For the third time in four games, Jordan John was effective in middle relief. John struck out one batter in the seventh and came back to record a 1-2-3 eighth inning, including his second strikeout of the game.

"We've played four games so far and he's pitched in three of them," said Golloway on John. "I think that speaks volumes. He knows throwing 17 pitches today, he wants the ball again tomorrow. He is such an unselfish player. He is about the team first and he is a special guys for us."

Senior Erik Ross came off the bench and delivered a two-run triple in the eighth inning to help seal the victory.

Hartford starter Mike Thatcher took the loss for the Hawks in their season opener. Thatcher lasted 3 1/3 innings and gave up five runs, three of them earned after four errors committed by his defense. Simon Kudernatsch led the Hawks offense with four hits while Ryan Lukach had three RBI.

Friday was the first meeting in the series between the Hawks and Sooners. OU has not played a current member of the America East Conference since 2005 when it defeated Maine, 11-10, in the 2005 NCAA Oxford Regional.

"They have a nice club, they play hard and are not afraid to swing the bat," added Golloway. "We knew it was going to be a challenge. I mean, you are not going to run away from anyone anymore in college baseball. You have to win ball games by two, three and four runs."

The three-game series continues Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at L. Dale Mitchell Park. The game can be heard on the Sooner Sports Network KREF 1400 AM.

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