Hansen Strong in Losing Effort

Oklahoma

¹⁴ UCLA

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

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Ceja (1-0)	1.0	0	0	0	1	1
L - Hansen (0-2)	6.1	4	2	2	1	11
S - Gadsby (3)	1.0	2	1	1	1	2

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
UCLA - Falia	4	0	3	2	0	0
OU - Southerland	4	0	2	1	0	0
OU - Harris	4	0	2	0	0	0

LOS ANGELES – The University of Oklahoma baseball team suffered another narrow defeat as it lost to No. 14 UCLA in front of 1,149 at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Sooners (4-7) will wrap up the Dodger Stadium Classic on Sunday against Mississippi State at Chavez Ravine.

Junior right-hander Alec Hansen (Loveland, Colo.) had his best stuff of the season through six innings for Oklahoma. He struck out 11, including striking out the side in the second, but ran in to trouble in the seventh. Bruins first baseman Luke Persico drilled a leadoff-triple off the wall in left and scored on a sacrifice-fly by center fielder Christoph Bono. Hansen came back to issue his first walk of the game and was lifted for freshman right-hander Connor Berry (Sugar Land, Texas).

Back-to-back walks loaded the bases for UCLA (5-5). Berry then got a groundball and a chance to escape the inning tied, but an awkward in between hop led to the Sooners getting just one and shortstop Scott Jarvis racing home with the go-ahead run. Another walk loaded the bases again and right fielder Eric Filia made it hurt as his third hit of the day drove in two. The Bruins got four runs in the inning on four walks and two hits.

In the ninth, Oklahoma began to rally as freshman center fielder Steele Walker (Prosper, Texas) singled through the left side and junior second baseman Jack Flansburg (Orange, Calif.) drew a walk to put two on with two out. Freshman pinch-hitter Blake Brewster (Moore, Okla.) then went the other way for a RBI-single to left and represented the potential tying run at first base. However, a harmless groundball to first ended the game.

Hansen (0-2) took the loss in 6.1 innings of work. He allowed two runs on just four hits. Right-hander Jake Bird lasted three innings in the start for UCLA. He gave up three walks and three hits. RHP Moises Ceja (1-0) got the win with a spotless-seventh. He walked one and struck out another. Fellow righty, Brian Gadsby recorded his third save of the season despite giving up a run on two hits and a walk in the ninth. He also struck out a pair.

After five-scoreless innings, the Sooners plated the first run of the game in the top of the sixth. Senior left fielder Hunter Haley (Nacogdoches, Texas) earned a leadoff-walk, stole second and went to third on a bunt-single from freshman third baseman Cade Harris (Leona, Texas). Haley would come in to score on a sacrifice-fly to center by freshman designated hitter Hunter Southerland. Harris and Southerland would each tally two base hits in the contest as OU freshman notched six of the team's seven hits.

Oklahoma outhit UCLA, 7-5, for the game and totaled nine walks, but left 13 runners on base and twice left the bases loaded.

Junior lefty Austin Kerns (Owasso, Okla.) will be on the hill at Dodger Stadium on Sunday.

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Players Mentioned

Connor Berry

Blake Brewster

Jack Flansburg

Hunter Haley

Alec Hansen

Cade Harris

Austin Kerns

Austin Kerns

Hunter Southerland

Steele Walker

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics