Upcoming Event: Baseball versus Texas A&M on March 13, 2026
Baseball
vs Texas A&M
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Wednesday, April 20
Norman
6:00 PM
University of Oklahoma
3
vs
4
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma Rallies; Falls By a Run in Bedlam
April 20, 2016 | Baseball
25 Oklahoma State
4
3
Oklahoma
NORMAN, Okla. – The University of Oklahoma baseball team fell by a run in a 4-3 decision to No. 25 Oklahoma State in front of 1,792 at L. Dale Mitchell Park on Wednesday night. The Sooners dropped to 18-19-1 in the non-conference loss, while the Cowboys improved to 23-13.
Oklahoma got a run in the first and rallied for two in the ninth, but a pair of two-run innings in the latter half of the game secured the win for Oklahoma State. Sooner pitchers combined to strike out 14 in the loss as the Cowboys totaled 12 hits on 25 balls hit in play.
“We came out of the gates and got a few hits and a run, but credit those guys,” assessed head coach Pete Hughes. “We went scoreless for seven frames after that. Their bullpen did a good job. They adjusted and had a good game plan against JB, which a lot of people haven't been able to do lately.”
Freshman right-hander Jake Irvin (Bloomington, Minn.) was excellent for his first five innings of work. He held OSU scoreless until the sixth. Irvin (2-1) struck out 10 and allowed two runs, one earned, on six hits and one walk.
“He gets better every outing,” Hughes stated of Irvin's performance. “He's a talented freshman, who throws a lot of strikes and controlled his adrenaline and got 10 strikeouts with only one walk. That was a good outing.”
The Cowboys used seven different pitchers. Right-hander Michael Mertz lasted just two innings in the start with one run against him on three hits and two strikeouts. Right-hander Joe Lienhard (1-0) got the win in one inning of relief and right-hander Tyler Buffett registered his sixth save of the season despite giving up two runs in the bottom of the ninth.
Oklahoma, which managed just six hits, got the scoring started with back-to-back one-out doubles from junior center fielder Ben Hollas (Longview, Texas) and junior shortstop Sheldon Neuse (Fort Worth, Texas).
In the top of the sixth, OSU shortstop Donnie Walton got the offense going with a one-out single to right-center. A double for Garrett Benge put two runners in scoring position and chased Irvin from the game. The Sooners turned to junior lefty Austin Kerns (Owasso, Okla.), who struck out the one batter he faced. Junior right-hander JB Olson (Shady Shores, Texas) then came on and immediately got a groundball, but it was chopped slowly off the bat of pinch-hitter Andrew Rose and brought in the tying run. A fielding error at third then gave the Cowboys the lead and put Irvin on the short-side of the decision.
Oklahoma State got two more runs on Olson in the eighth. Walton and Benge led off with back-to-back singles. Designated hitter Colin Simpson then drove in one on a high chop over first, but was thrown out at second trying to stretch for a double by OU senior right fielder Alex Wise (Neosho, Mo.). The Cowboys then got another run on a base hit to left by Rosa to make it a 4-1 game.
The Sooners' ninth-inning rally started with a walk to junior first baseman Austin O'Brien (Owasso, Okla.) and a single past third by senior left fielder Hunter Haley (Nacogdoches, Texas). A throwing error on the play allowed Haley to get into scoring position as the potential tying run came to the plate. Wise grounded out to short to score O'Brien and freshman designated hitter Steele Walker (Prosper, Texas) singled up the middle on a ball kept on the infield to plate Haley and cut the deficit to one. Buffett then got a strikeout and a hard liner to third to end the night.
Oklahoma remains at home this weekend for a three-game set against West Virginia. Game one is Friday night at 6:00 pm.
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