Sooners Clinch Series at Tech

Friday, May 20

Lubbock, Texas

6:30 p.m.

University of Oklahoma

33-19, 15-8

Texas Tech

35-18, 14-9

Oklahoma

Texas Tech

Photo by: Justin Kaplan

May 20, 2022 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score

LUBBOCK, Texas – Blake Robertson's two-run first-inning home run ignited the Oklahoma baseball team as it opened a 9-2 lead after five innings on its way to a 9-6 victory over No. 5 Texas Tech Friday night at Rip Griffin Park.

The Sooners (33-19, 15-8 Big 12) clinched their fifth straight series victory and their first series win at Texas Tech (35-18, 14-9 Big 12) since 2012. OU can earn a share of the Big 12 regular season championship with a victory in the series finale at 2 p.m. tomorrow.

Wallace Clark, Peyton Graham and Kendall Pettis all finished with two hits and two RBIs, and Tanner Tredaway had two hits and scored three runs. David Sandlin (6-3) struck out seven and allowed two runs over 5.0 innings. Trevin Michael struck out three over 2.0 frames to earn his eighth save of the season. TTU starter Brandon Birdsell (8-3) took the loss.

"Our offense was outstanding. That's what set the tone," Oklahoma head coach Skip Johnson said. "David just grinded it out. Just tough innings. The bullpen did their job. Trevin was really special tonight. I mean really special. He pitched with his heart, and that's what baseball is really about."

For the second night in a row, John Spikerman led off the game with an extra base hit. He doubled to start the game Friday night, and Robertson launched his fourth home run of the season into the trees beyond the right field bullpen.

OU hit six home runs in the series opener on Thursday night, but Robertson's was the only round-tripper on Friday. The Sooners produced runs in different ways.

Tredaway followed the home run with a single and scored on a base hit by Clark to give Oklahoma a 3-0 lead. In the second inning, Pettis was hit by a pitch, took second on a wild pitch and scored on a line drive single by Graham to make it 4-0.

The Red Raiders scored a run in the bottom of the second on a sun-aided triple and double. The Sooners got the run back in the top of the third when Tredaway doubled and scored on Clark's second hit through the infield. Tech made it 5-2 with an RBI single by Ty Coleman in the bottom of the third.

OU responded once again in the top of the fourth when Pettis singled, stole second and scored on a sacrifice fly by Graham. The steal was Pettis' 20th of the season. Graham notched two steals to bring his season total to 25. Including Tredaway's 21 steals, this is the first season in which three Sooners have totaled 20 or more stolen bases since 1994.

Oklahoma broke open the game with three runs in the fifth inning. Tredaway was hit by a pitch and moved around to score on a failed pickoff attempt to first base. Pettis ripped a two-out, two-run double into the left field corner to make it a 9-2 lead.

Sandlin held the Raiders off the board in the fourth and fifth innings. In the TTU sixth, Cole Stilwell hit a three-run home run to make the score 9-5. In the seventh, Hudson White hit an RBI single to reach the final margin.

Carson Atwood got the final two outs of the seventh inning and turned it over to Michael for the final two frames. Michael retired the side in the eighth and stranded a leadoff single in the ninth, by mixing a strikeout looking with two lineouts to left field.