Four-Run First Troubles Sooners

Texas

Oklahoma

Highlights

Box Score

Notes

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

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Culbreth (5-2)	6.0	8	3	2	0	4
L - Madden (1-1)	5.1	5	5	4	3	2
S - Sawyer (1)	0.1	0	0	0	0	0

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
UT - Mathis	4	1	2	3	0	0
OU - Neuse	4	0	2	0	0	0
UT - Barrera	4	1	1	1	0	0

NORMAN, Okla. – The University of Oklahoma baseball team lost to Texas, 5-3, in front of 1,826 at L. Dale Mitchell Park on Saturday afternoon. The Sooners fell to 13-14-1 overall and 1-4 in the Big 12, while the Longhorns improved to 12-15 and 3-3.

Oklahoma was unable to overcome a four-run first inning for Texas. The Longhorns jumped on freshman right-hander Ryan Madden (Westminster, Colo.) with three hits and took advantage of two walks and an error. Third baseman Tres Barrera drove in the first run with a one-out double lost in the sun out in center field. Right fielder Patrick Mathis followed with a double of his own off the wall in right-center to plate a pair.

“We had our opportunities to win the game,” said head coach Pete Hughes. “We let up five hits and got beat. The ability to throw strikes and not walk them, it tells you how crucial it is in those numbers right there.”

The Sooners cut the deficit in half with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. Junior first baseman Austin O'Brien (Owasso, Okla.) led off with a single chopped through the left side. Senior right fielder Alex Wise (Neosho, Mo.) then singled to left and freshman designated hitter Chris Andritsos (The Woodlands, Texas) brought in O'Brien with a base hit up the middle. Wise went first-to-third on the RBI-single and scored on a shallow sacrifice-fly to center off the bat of freshman catcher Domenic DeRenzo (Pittsburgh, Pa.).

The OU offense continued to chip away at the Texas lead in the fourth. Freshman center fielder Steele Walker (Prosper, Texas) hit a leadoff-single and went to second when the ball was misplayed in right. Wise sacrificed him into position for Andritsos to drive in with a sacrifice-fly to right.

The Longhorns pushed their lead back to two runs in the top of the sixth. First baseman Kacy Clemens was issued a leadoff-walk and scored on a Mathis' second double of the game. That chased Madden from the game as the Sooners turned to junior right-hander JB Olson (Shady Shores, Texas). Olson got two outs with one pitch on a line drive to second that doubled off Mathis.

“We're good enough to [win],” exclaimed Hughes. “Our bullpen is rested. We need to get a good start from Jake Elliott, but I do like the matchup with our team in this series. We need to forget about today as soon as possible and show up and win the series tomorrow.”

Madden (1-1) went 5.1 innings in the loss for Oklahoma. He gave up five runs, four of which were earned, on five hits and three walks to go with two strikeouts. Sooner pitchers combined to walk a season-high nine batters in the game.

Lefty Ty Culbreth (5-2) went six innings for the win. He scattered eight hits as OU got three runs, two earned, off him, while striking out four. Three pitchers combined to close the door in the ninth. Sooner freshman Cade Harris (Leona, Texas) registered a pinch-hit single with two down, which brought in lefty Josh Sawyer to get the final out and record his first save of the year.

The rubber-match of the series is scheduled for a 1:00 pm first pitch on Sunday afternoon. Junior RHP Jake Elliott (Coppell, Texas) gets the ball for Oklahoma against Texas RHP Kyle Johnston.

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Players Mentioned

Chris Andritsos

Domenic DeRenzo

Jake Elliott

Cade Harris

Ryan Madden

Austin O'Brien

JB Olson

Steele Walker

Alex Wise

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics