OU Baseball Falls Late at Sam Houston

²⁵ Oklahoma

Sam Houston State

Line Score
Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
²⁵OU	0	0	2	0	0	1	0	0	0	3	3	0
SHSU	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	1	X	4	6	1

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Odom (1-0)	8.0	3	3	2	5	7
L - Berry (0-1)	2.0	1	1	1	1	2
S - Rahm (1)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
SHSU-Broadbent	4	0	2	2	0	0
OU - Martinez	3	1	1	2	0	1
SHSU - Rahm	3	1	1	0	0	0

HUNTSVILLE, Texas – The No. 25 University of Oklahoma baseball team suffered a 4-3 loss in its series opener at Sam Houston State on Friday night in front of 1,160 fans at Don Sanders Stadium. The loss snapped a three-game win streak and dropped the Sooners to 3-3, while the Bearkats picked up their first win of the season to improve to 1-5.

Oklahoma totaled just three hits in the game, but the first was a monster two-run home run to left by junior catcher Renae Martinez (San Pedro, Calif.) in the top of the third to get OU on the board first.

Junior right-hander Jake Elliott (Coppell, Texas) took a no-decision in a six-inning start for the Sooners. He faced the minimum the first time through the order despite allowing a single in the second and walk in the third. Sam Houston State ran itself into outs with a batter's interference and runner's interference ending each frame.

Elliott ran into trouble in the fourth when he issued a walk to right fielder Riley McKnight, who got into scoring position on a stolen base. Third baseman Matt Broadbent came through for SHSU with a RBI-single through the left side to cut the Sooner lead in half.

The Bearkats threatened again an inning later as first baseman Spence Rahm got aboard with a leadoff-single. They got two runners into scoring position as catcher Robie Rojas lifted a double to the gap in right-center. A wild pitch scored the game-tying run and a passed ball put Sam Houston in front.

Oklahoma fought back immediately as junior left fielder Ben Hollas (Longview, Texas) tripled to the track in left-center with one down in the top of the sixth. Junior shortstop Sheldon Neuse (Fort Worth, Texas) was walked to put runners on the corners. Hollas came in with the tying run on a ball hit in play by junior right fielder Cody Thomas (Colleyville, Texas). Thomas hit a soft-liner to third on a tough in-between hop. Broadbent came in to catch it on the fly, but backpedaled late to attempt a backhand stab at it as Hollas scored easily.

Freshman right-hander Connor Berry (Sugar Land, Texas) took over on the mound to start the seventh for the Sooners. He worked a spotless seventh before issuing a leadoff walk to pinch-hitter Jaxxon Grisham. A passed ball moved pinch-runner Mac Odom to second and he was sacrificed to third with just one down by center fielder Bryce Johnson. Berry came back to strike out the next batter and had Broadbent in a 0-2 hole before Broadbent lined a base hit to left to put the Bearkats back in front.

Berry (0-1) took the loss in his second career appearance. Elliott struck out six in the start, while giving up three runs, two earned, on five hits and three walks. For Sam Houston, RHP Sam Odom (1-0) surrendered just three runs, two earned, on three hits, but walked five and struck out seven. Rahm moved from first to the mound for the ninth and nailed down his first save of the season with a 1-2-3 frame.

Game two of the series is set for 3:00 pm Saturday afternoon. Junior left-hander Austin Kerns (Owasso, Okla.) gets the start for Oklahoma against right-hander Heath Donica.