Oklahoma Downs Bakersfield, 6-4

Oklahoma

CSU Bakersfield

Line Score
Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
OU	0	2	0	1	0	2	0	0	1	6	8	1
CSUB	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	1	0	3	14	1

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Au. Hansen (3-0)	2.0	3	0	0	0	2
L - Nimmo (1-2)	5.1	5	3	3	4	4
S - Neuse (2)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
OU - Wise	5	2	3	1	0	0
OU - Haley	4	1	2	2	1	0
CSUB - Metzgar	5	1	3	0	0	0

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – The University of Oklahoma baseball team rattled off its third straight win with a 6-4 decision over CSU Bakersfield at Hardt Field on Thursday night. The Sooners improved to 8-9-1 overall despite being outhit by the Roadrunners (5-11), 14-8 for the game.

A narrow two-run deficit in the eighth was cut to just one against junior right-hander JB Olson (Shady Shores, Texas). An infield-single from CSUB left fielder Christian Deaton got the Roadrunners to within one. Olson then buckled down got the next two to leave a pair of runners in scoring position and head to the ninth.

Senior right fielder Alex Wise (Neosho, Mo.) gave OU some breathing run as he led off the top of the ninth with a home run to center to push the lead back to two. In the bottom half, junior Sheldon Neuse (Fort Worth, Texas) moved from shortstop to the mound and put down Bakersfield in order to record his second save of the season.

Freshman right-hander Austin Hansen (Lenexa, Kan.) got the win for the Sooners in two-scoreless innings of relief. Hansen (3-0), making his fifth appearance, allowed three hits and struck out a pair in the fifth and sixth innings.

Oklahoma never trailed in the game and had the first lead at 2-0 in the top of the second. The Sooners loaded the bases on a Wise single and a pair of walks. Senior designated hitter Hunter Haley (Nacogdoches, Texas) then drilled a two-run double off the wall in right to go in front.

After the Roadrunners tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the third, Neuse drew a bases loaded walk to push OU ahead, 3-2, in the top of the fourth. CSUB pulled the game to even immediately in the bottom half. Third baseman Ryan Grotjohn led off with a double and scored on a two-out single through the left side by Dustin Frailey.

Haley led off the sixth with his second double of the night and scored on a base hit from junior second baseman Jack Flansburg (Orange, Calif.) to give Oklahoma the lead for good. Flansburg, who had reached second on a throwing error on the throw home to try and get Haley, would come in to score on a base hit up the middle by freshman third baseman Cade Harris (Leona, Texas).

Wise finished the game 3-for-5 with two runs scored and Haley went 2-for-4. For Bakersfield, second baseman David Metzgar was 3-for-5 and finished a home run shy of the cycle.

Senior right-hander Keaton Hernandez (Palm Springs, Calif.) lasted four innings in the start for the Sooners. He limited the damage to three runs on nine hits and two walks to go with two strikeouts in a no-decision. Right-hander Steven Gee went 3.2 innings in the start for CSUB and allowed three runs on three hits and four walks. Right-hander Garrett Nimmo (1-2) took the loss in 5.1 innings of relief. He surrendered three runs on five hits and four walks with four strikeouts.

Game two of the series is scheduled for 8:00 pm CT on Friday night. Junior right-hander Alec Hansen (Loveland, Colo.) is set to pitch for Oklahoma.

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Players Mentioned

Jack Flansburg

Hunter Haley

Alec Hansen

Austin Hansen

Cade Harris

Keaton Hernandez

Sheldon Neuse

JB Olson

Alex Wise

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics