University of Oklahoma Athletics

UC Riverside Overcomes Oklahoma 9-7 :: Jakubauskas, Fransz go deep, however a three-run UCR eighth inning proves too much.

UC Riverside Overcomes Oklahoma 9-7 :: Jakubauskas, Fransz go deep, however a three-run UCR eighth inning proves too much. UC Riverside Overcomes Oklahoma 9-7

Jakubauskas, Fransz go deep, however a three-run UCR eighth inning proves too much.




The Oklahoma baseball team dropped a tough one to UC Riverside on Sunday, 9-7, at the Riverside Sports Complex.

March 3, 2002

Box Score

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The UC Riverside Highlanders defeated Oklahoma 9-7 Sunday at the Riverside Sports Complex to win the series two games to one. Oklahoma falls to 8-4 while UCR moves its mark to 13-6. Mark Roberts (1-1) took his first loss of the season after allowing two runs on three hits in the eighth inning. Matt Thiessen (3-0) earned the win for UC Riverside and Cordell Perkins picked up his second save in as many games for the Highlanders.

Oklahoma had a big second inning, scoring four runs on four hits. OU right fielder Chris Jakubauskas, playing just minutes from his Upland, Calif., home, hit a three-run home run to left field, his fourth of the season. Luke Alexander then doubled off the wall in left and Denver Kitch singled and stole second base. Reggie Willits grounded out, bringing Alexander home.

UCR eventually tied the game at five, however with two outs in the seventh inning, Jason Fransz blasted a two-run home run to left field to give OU a 7-5 lead. Fransz, who played the last two seasons at nearby Riverside Community College, was 1-for-3 with two runs scored in today's game and now has three homers on the year. UC Riverside added a run in the seventh inning and took the lead for good with a three-run eighth inning rally.

Alexander went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored, while Willits had two runs batted in. Kitch enjoyed a 2-for-3 day and defensively, the Sooners turned two double plays in today's game. Evan Greusel started today's game and allowed four UCR runs in 4.2 innings of work.

The Oklahoma-UCR series was scheduled to have been played in Norman this weekend, however winter weather in central Oklahoma forced the Sooners to travel west for the three-game set. Oklahoma returns home to open its Big 12 slate against Missouri next weekend. Game times are set for 3 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. for both Saturday and Sunday's games.