Oklahoma’s baseball team scored seven runs in the first three innings and beat Oklahoma State 9-5 in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Wednesday.
The Sooners had lost three of four to the Cowboys during the regular season, but took control early in the Big 12 Tournament matchup.
OU got three runs in the first inning.
After back-to-back walks to start the game from OSU starter Carson Benge, Dakota Harris singled to score John Spikerman and Kendall Pettis to make it 2-0 Sooners.
Easton Carmichael singled home Harris to make it 3-0 OU.
In the second inning, Pettis flied out, but Jackson Nicklaus scored on the sacrifice fly and OU led 4-0.
The Sooners got three more runs in the third inning.
Nicklaus hit a sac fly to score Carmichael, then Spikerman singled to score Sebastian Orduno and it was 6-0 Oklahoma.
Pettis struck out, but the ball got away from OSU catcher Chase Adkison and Wallace Clark scored from third base to make it 7-0.
OSU responded with a three-run third inning.
Zach Ehrhard doubled to score Nolan McLean, then Benge singled in Marcus Brown and Ehrhard to cut the OU lead to 7-3.
In the fifth, Marcus Brown hit a solo home run to right field and the Sooner lead was 7-4.
OU got two insurance runs in the seventh inning.
Nicklaus laid down a sacrifice bunt, and OSU pitcher Bayden Root threw wild to first base, allowing Kade Fletcher to score to make it 8-4.
Anthony Mackenzie walked with the bases loaded to make it 9-4 Sooners.
OSU got a run in the bottom of the ninth when Roc Riggio doubled to score Ehrhard.
James Hitt got the pitching win for OU, going two and two-thirds innings and giving up two hits and one earned run.
Carter Campbell got the save for the Sooners by pitching the final four innings, giving up three hits and one earned run.
OSU used five pitchers, who walked 13 batters and hit two more.
Benge took the loss for the Cowboys.
Oklahoma improves to 31-24 on the season.
They’ll play Thursday night at 7:30 in the winners’ bracket against either Texas Tech or West Virginia.
OSU drops to 37-17 on the year, and will play an elimination game Thursday at 12:30 against the loser of the Tech-WVU game.
Oklahoma is 9-4 all-time against OSU in the Big 12 Tournament.
By Brian Brinkley
