Gray, Sooners Even Series with Samford

May 18, 2012

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Samford	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	10	2
Oklahoma	0	0	1	2	1	0	2	0	X	6	9	0

Box Score (PDF)

Pitching	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Gray (7-4)	7.0	8	2	2	1	9
L - Basford (8-2)	5.0	67	4	4	1	1
S - Okert	2.0	2	0	0	0	1

Leaders	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
OU - Mayfield	4	1	2	1	0	0
SU - Butler	4	1	2	2	0	1

Game Notes

OU is 16-4 when hitting a homer this season ... Jonathan Gray has lasted at least six innings in seven of his last eight starts ... He tossed one game past the fifth inning in his first seven starts ... He has struck out at least five batters in each of his last eight starts, including nine in each of his last two outings (Baylor and Samford) ... Steven Okert is 1-0 with two saves in his last three relief appearances with zero runs off three hits and zero walks (four strikeouts) ... Jack Mayfield extended his hitting streak to seven games ... In the 34 victories in 2012, the Sooners have come from behind in 17 of those contests ... Of Sunny Golloway's 295 wins at OU, 149 (.505) have been in come-from-behind fashion ... The Sooners are 30-8 on the season when holding opponents to five runs or less ... OU has limited the opposition to five or less runs in 30 of the last 35 games and hold a 22-13 record in that span.

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NORMAN, Okla. -- Jonathan Gray won his fourth straight start to improve to 7-4 and No. 24 Oklahoma evened up the series with visiting Samford after a 6-2 win on Friday night.

The Sooners trailed 2-1 before Garrett Carey delivered a two-run single with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth inning.

OU never looked back after the clutch two-out hit by Carey and improved to 34-21 while Samford dropped to 35-15.

“The key was getting Jon Gray the lead,” said OU Head Coach Sunny Golloway. “From the fourth inning on, he looked really good. When we get the lead, you can just see him relax and he becomes a better pitcher.”

For the second straight game, Saxon Butler belted a home run in the first inning. He followed up Thursday's solo shot with a two-run bomb off Gray.

The wind blown homer marked a tough start for Gray but he settled down and recorded nine strikeouts for the second straight game (one shy of career high).

“It was pretty frustrating, but I also knew there was a pretty good chance some balls we're gonna leave the yard with the way the wind was blowing,” said Gray. “I made an adjustment after that. I started getting ahead of hitters. I kept myself out of those situations.”

The Sooners cut the lead in half as Carey scored on a double play ball in the third inning. Carey then collected his first base hit with the bases loaded this year in the fourth inning. He entered the game 0-for-2 in that situation.

“Baseball will find its way back to you,” said Carey. “Coach G (Golloway) says it all the time and it's true. I had two situations just like those last night and I didn't capitalize. Luckily, the game found me again and I was able to come through.”

Oklahoma kept adding on to the lead with a run in the fifth and two more in the seventh.

A wild pitch in the fifth allowed Max White to score all the way from second base as the Sooners' built a two-run advantage.

Gray came out in the sixth inning and struck out the side in the sixth inning and sat down five of the seven batters he faced in the sixth and seventh innings via the strikeout.

In the eighth, Steven Okert came out of the Sooner bullpen to record his fourth save of the year. The reigning Big 12 Pitcher of the Week has a 1-0 mark and two saves in his last three relief appearances.

Cody Reine crushed a ball to center field for his fourth homer of the year in the seventh to give OU a 5-2 lead. The Sooners extended the lead to four runs later in the frame on a bunt single by Jack Mayfield that scored White.

All but two starters in the Sooner batting lineup had a hit, led by Mayfield and White with two hits apiece.

The series concludes on Saturday at 2 p.m. at L. Dale Mitchell Park. The game can be heard on the Sooner Sports Network KREF 1400 AM with Toby Rowland and Ross Hubbard on the call.

OU's five seniors, Caleb Bushyhead, Evan Mistich, Cody Reine, Erik Ross and Tanner Toal, will be honored prior to the game.