Baseball Defeats No. 17 Baylor, 7-5

Oklahoma

Baylor

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

Pitching
	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
WP - Cavalli (5-1)	5.1	5	3	3	5	1
LP - Winston (3-1)	3.0	4	5	5	2	3
SV - Ruffcorn (8)	1.1	2	0	0	0	2

Individual Leaders
	AB	R	H	RBI	HR
OU - Lindsly	5	1	3	2	0
OU - Ware	5	1	1	3	1
OU - Zaragoza	2	2	1	1	0

WACO, Texas – The Oklahoma baseball team used a five-run third inning and held on to claim the series opener at No. 17 Baylor 7-5 Friday evening at Baylor Ballpark.

Designated hitter Brady Lindsly went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and third baseman Brylie Ware hit a three-run home run for the Sooners (25-10, 6-4 Big 12). OU added runs in the fourth and fifth innings and held off a late charge by the Bears (22-10, 6-3 Big 12), who scored two runs in the sixth and eighth frames.

Sophomore Cade Cavalli went 5.1 innings to earn the win and improve to 5-1 on the season while junior Jason Ruffcorn earned his eighth save with 1.1 relief frames. Baylor starter Jimmy Winston went 3.0 innings and fell to 3-1 with the loss.

“We got back to having quality at bats and making that the most important thing on offense,” Oklahoma head coach Skip Johnson said. “Typical on the road, it was a different environment and we got to see our young guys throw in that environment, and Ruffcorn was outstanding in making quality pitch after quality pitch.”

Oklahoma took a 5-1 lead with five runs in the third inning. Three straight singles, including RBI knocks by shortstop Brandon Zaragoza and Lindsly, put the Sooners ahead before Ware crushed a three-run home run to deep left center. It was the senior's fourth homer of the season.

In the fourth inning, Lindsly shot a two-run double down the left field line, scoring Zaragoza to make it 6-1. First baseman Tyler Hardman led off the fifth inning with a walk and moved around to score on an infield error to extend the lead to 7-1.

Baylor took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a sacrifice fly by right fielder Chase Wehnsener. Catcher Shea Langeliers hit a two-run home run in the sixth to cut OU's lead to 7-3. In the eighth, a wild pitch and an RBI single by shortstop Nick Loftin made it 7-5.

The Sooners and Bears continue the series at 3 p.m. Saturday.