Hardman Hits for the Cycle in DH Split

Sunday, March 14

Norman

2 p.m.

University of Oklahoma

6-7

Arkansas State

3-7

Arkansas State

Oklahoma

Photo by: Ty Russell

Hardman Hits for the Cycle in DH Split

March 14, 2021 | Baseball

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NORMAN – Tyler Hardman hit for the cycle in the opener and reached base in all 11 plate appearances Sunday to lead the Oklahoma baseball team in a doubleheader split with Arkansas State at L. Dale Mitchell Park. OU dropped the first game 15-14 before rebounding for a 9-1 win in the nightcap.

In order, Hardman homered, doubled, singled and tripled, then added another single in the ninth inning to become the first Sooner in more than a decade to register all four different hits in a game. Prior to Sunday, the last OU player to hit for the cycle in a game was Cameron Seitzer against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in 2010.

"Tyler is one of the captains of our club and his work ethic speaks for itself," Oklahoma head coach Skip Johnson said. "It was good to see that he put that work in and it paid off. He works extremely hard at his craft and he's gotten a lot better, and he's going to continue to get better."

Hardman went 8 for 8 on Sunday with four extra base hits, two walks and a hit-by-pitch. He scored eight runs and drove in four, and has reached base in 13 consecutive plate appearances going back to Tuesday night's win over UT Arlington.

The Sooners (7-7) and Red Wolves (3-8) close out the series at 1 p.m. Monday at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

Oklahoma 9, Arkansas State 1

Jake Bennett (2-1) was very good in his game-two start, striking out six and allowing just a run on two hits in 5.0 innings. Jaret Godman and Carson Carter combined for four scoreless relief frames in the win.

The Sooners scored in each of the first seven innings of the nightcap, plating three runs in the fifth inning and single scores in the other six frames. Five of OU's 13 hits were doubles, but none left the park after the teams combined for eight home runs in the opener.

Second baseman Conor McKenna doubled home Hardman in the first inning, designated hitter Brett Squires doubled in the second inning and scored on a groundout by shortstop Brandon Zaragoza, and center fielder Tanner Tredaway singled home Hardman in the third inning to give OU a 3-0 lead. Zaragoza doubled in the fourth and scored on a single by third baseman Peyton Graham to make it 4-1.

Connor Beichler, who replaced Tredaway in the third, doubled home two runs in the fifth inning. It was his first hit of the season. Zaragoza then laced a base hit through the infield to bring in Beichler and extend the lead to 7-1. Left fielder Diego Muniz and McKenna added RBI singles in the sixth and seventh innings to make the score 9-1.

Arkansas State scored its lone run of the game on a sacrifice fly by shortstop Jake Gish in the fourth inning. ASU starter Carter Holt (0-1) took the loss.

Arkansas State 15, Oklahoma 14

Oklahoma and Arkansas State combined for 29 runs and 32 hits, including eight home runs, in a wild series opener Sunday afternoon with a stiff south wind blowing out of the ballpark.

The Red Wolves took a 7-0 lead in the third inning, before the Sooners stormed back with six runs in the bottom of the third to close within 7-6. ASU made it 12-6 with a run in the fifth and a grand slam in the sixth, then scored two runs in the eighth and one in the ninth. Meanwhile, OU chipped away with two runs in the seventh, five in the eighth and one in the ninth.

In the ninth inning, Hardman singled home Graham to cut it to 15-14. Tredaway reached on a base hit and an error placed two runners in scoring position with two outs, but the play on a grounder down the third base line was made just in time to get the final out at first.

Tredaway went 3 for 5 with three RBIs and two runs. He and Hardman each hit their first home runs of the season in the third inning. Hardman went the other way with a three-run shot over the right field wall, and Tredaway pulled a long two-run homer to left field two batters later.

Graham and Crooks went back-to-back with solo shots in OU's five-run eighth inning. Graham homered to left for the second time in as many games, and Crooks put one into the batter's eye in straightaway center field. Graham went 3 for 6 and scored three times.

Hardman finished the first game 5 for 5 with four RBIs and three runs scored. He became the first OU hitter to register five hits in a game since Craig Aikin recorded a school-record six hits against Little Rock in 2015.

OU starter Wyatt Olds (0-2) took the loss and ASU reliever Walker Williams (1-0) earned the win. Arkansas State right fielder Tyler Duncan went 3 for 6 with six RBIs and a grand slam in the sixth inning, and Gish went 3 for 5 with three RBIs and three runs scored.