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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Oklahoma Notches Important Win Against Oral Roberts :: Roberts picks up fifth win of season, Jones hits second homer .
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Mark Roberts picked up the win as Oklahoma registered a big win over Oral Roberts Friday night in Tulsa. |
April 19, 2002
TULSA, Okla. - The Oklahoma baseball team picked up an important 6-2 win over Oral Roberts Friday night in front of 1,892 at J.L. Johnston Stadium in Tulsa, Okla. Mark Roberts (5-2) earned the win for the Sooners and threw 123 pitches in six innings, allowed two runs -- one earned -- on five hits and struck out five. Curtis White picked up his first save as a Sooner by going 2.1 perfect innings and striking out two. ORU starter Michael Rogers (7-2) allowed six runs on seven hits and was handed just his second regular season loss since the 1999 season. Oklahoma is now 22-16 on the season, while Oral Roberts fell to 23-12.
Roberts and Rogers engaged in a pitching battle for the first three innings, striking out four and five batters, respectively, in those frames. In the bottom of the first inning, Reggie Willits made a highlight-reel, diving catch in the right field corner to rob ORU of a sure-fire extra base hit. The Golden Eagles loaded the bases with a base hit and two walks in the third, however Roberts got out of the jam unscathed.
Oklahoma finally broke through in the fourth with a run on two hits. Willits led off the inning with a base hit and scored on Eddie Cornejo's double to the left field wall. OU proceeded to load the bases with no outs, however Rogers retired three Sooners in a row to get out of the inning.
The Sooners extended their lead to 4-0 with three tallies in the sixth frame. Designated hitter Luke Alexander smacked a double into the gap in right center to score Jason Fransz, who reached scoring position by walking and moving to second on a passed ball. Matt Bose brought in a run by doubling down the right field line and Charlie Frasier hit a sacrifice fly to bring Ryan Richardson home.
Oral Roberts broke a 24-inning scoring drought with two runs -- one earned -- in the sixth inning to pull within two, but OU quickly got those two runs back in the top of the seventh inning. Brandon Jones drilled a solo home run over the left field wall and Alexander hit an RBI single to give the Sooners their four-run lead once more, 6-2. The homer was Jones' second of the season and his first since OU's 18-5 win over Southeast Missouri State on Feb. 17.
Willits made another sliding catch for the third out in the bottom of the seventh inning, saving two potential runs as ORU had runners on second and third.
Evan Greusel and White both pitched in relief for OU. Greusel's appearance was his 73rd as a Sooner, the second-most in school history behind senior Rocky Cherry's 78. Alexander was 2-for-3 with two RBI in the game.
The game was a homecoming for OU head coach Larry Cochell, in that he was ORU's head coach for 10 seasons (1977-86) and is the school's all-time winningest coach with 428 wins. Cochell, who led the Golden Eagles to seven NCAA Regionals and the 1978 College World Series, has his name and retired jersey number on the center field wall at Johnson Stadium.
OU returns home to face Oral Roberts on Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Jarod McAuliff (1-2, 4.80 ERA) will make the start on Saturday for the Sooners, while David Purcey (2-2, 2.58 ERA) will make his second career start on Sunday for Oklahoma.
