Epic Bedlam Comeback Falls Short for OU

Saturday, May 14

Tulsa, Okla.

7:30 PM

University of Oklahoma

Oklahoma State

Epic Bedlam Comeback Falls Short for OU

May 15, 2016 | Baseball

By: Athletics Communications

Oklahoma

¹² Oklahoma State

Highlights

Box Score

Notes

Line Score
Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
OU	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	3	3	9	13	3
OSU	3	0	3	2	0	0	2	0	X	10	13	1

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
W - Costello (1-0)	3.1	4	2	2	1	2
L - Hansen, Al. (1-5)	2.1	6	6	5	2	3
S - Mertz (2)	0.1	0	0	0	0	0

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
OU - Neuse	5	1	3	2	1	0
OSU - Williams	4	2	2	4	1	2
OU - Martinez	3	2	2	2	0	0

Player of the Game
SS-Sheldon Neuse, Jr. Neuse drove in two runs on three hits, including a double in the third and a single in the eighth. He picked up his team-leading 23rd multi-hit and 13th multi-RBI games.

TULSA, Okla. – The University of Oklahoma baseball team rallied from seven down and got the tying run 90-feet away in the ninth before falling to No. 12 Oklahoma State, 10-9, in front of 8,007 at ONEOK Field late Saturday night. The loss knocked the Sooners down to 25-24-1 overall and 10-13 in the Big 12, while the Cowboys improved to 32-16 and 13-7.

Oklahoma had three runs in, including a RBI-double by junior catcher Renae Martinez (San Pedro, Calif.) and a two-run single off the bat of senior right fielder Alex Wise (Neosho, Mo.) that made it a 10-9 game with two on and one out in the top of the ninth. A fly ball to deep center then advanced both runners and a walk loaded the bases. Junior shortstop Sheldon Neuse (Fort Worth, Texas) then came to the plate and on the seventh pitch of the at-bat popped out to short to end the game.

Neuse finished the night 3-for-5 and had driven in a pair of runs earlier in the game. For the game, the Sooners and Cowboys were even with 13 hits apiece. Five OU players recorded multi-hit nights as did five OSU players, including designated hitter Colin Simpson with a 3-for-5 performance.

Oklahoma initially cut into the seven-run deficit with three runs in the top of the eighth. Junior designated hitter Cody Thomas (Colleyville, Texas) hit a leadoff-single and scored on a double to the deepest part of the park in left-center off the bat of Martinez, who would score on a wild pitch. Neuse then drove in a run with two outs, but Oklahoma State limited the damage by getting a second runner attempting to score out at home.

Right-hander Conor Costello (1-0) got the win in 3.1 innings of middle relief. He surrendered two runs on four hits and a walk with one strikeout. Right-hander Jensen Elliott lasted just 3.2 innings in the start with three runs against him on five hits, four walks and five strikeouts.

The scoring started early in the night as OSU got three runs in the bottom of the first and added three more in the third to chase OU junior right-hander Alec Hansen (Loveland, Colo.). The Cowboys plated three in the first on three hits and a Sooner error. The third started with a double by shortstop Donnie Walton and a RBI-single by third baseman Garrett Benge, his second such hit of the night. First baseman Dustin Williams then went deep to right with a two-run homer to make it a 6-2 OSU lead.

Hansen bounced back from the bottom of the first to put the Cowboys down in order in the second. Oklahoma responded in the top of the third with two runs on a pair of two-out doubles. Neuse doubled to score junior center fielder Ben Hollas (Longview, Texas), who walked. Neuse came in to score on the 16^th double of the season by freshman left fielder Steele Walker (Prosper, Texas).

The Sooners started a second two-out rally in the top of the fourth as Wise extended his hit streak to 12 games with a single. Another walk for Hollas brought up freshman third baseman Cade Harris (Leona, Texas) in his second at-bat off the bench. He placed a base hit into center to score Wise from second. Elliott was then lifted and Costello came in and walked Neuse. The bases were loaded for Walker and he hit a soft liner into shallow left where it found the glove of the diving Walton.

The loss went to Hansen (1-5) in 2.1 innings of work. He allowed six runs, five earned, on six hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Freshman right-hander Chris Andritsos (The Woodlands, Texas) followed with 1.2 innings of relief and allowed a two-run homer, the second of the night for Williams. He gave up three hits and a walk, while striking out two.

The third and decisive game of the series is set for Sunday at 2:00 pm in Tulsa. Freshman right-hander Dylan Grove (Oklahoma City) gets the start for the Sooners.