Oklahoma baseball returned to L. Dale Mitchell Park on Saturday looking to pick up what would arguably be their most impressive series win of the year against No. 7/8 Texas Tech after taking the opener on Friday night.
Unfortunately for the Sooners, game two of the series didn’t go nearly as well as game one as Oklahoma was blown out on their home field by the Red Raiders to the tune of a 15-2 margin.
Getting the start was the normally reliable Braden Carmichael (6-2) who would have massive struggles in this game only working into the third inning and allowing six runs. He earned just his second loss of the year in this one.
After giving up a run in each of the first and second innings to allow Texas Tech to jump out to a 2-0 lead, the third would be where the Red Raiders would make this one a laugher plating six runs to make the score 8-0 highlighted by a grand slam from right fielder Dru Baker. After plating another run in the top of the fifth, Texas Tech held a 9-0 lead at the midway point of the game.
The Sooners would break through on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the frame on an RBI single by first baseman Tyler Hardman to make the score 9-1. The score would remain there until the seventh, when the Red Raiders would put up another big inning.
Catcher Braxton Fulford hit a home run as well as shortstop Cal Conley – his being another grand slam. After Hardman picked up another RBI on a double in the bottom half of the inning, Texas Tech would go on to win by a final score of 15-2.
There isn’t much to say about this one as, obviously, the Red Raiders dominated their way to evening up the series. While Oklahoma (25-24, 9-11) did get a win on Friday, across all three matchups between these two teams this year Texas Tech has simply feasted on the Sooners’ pitching. And now, Oklahoma has burned some of their bigger guns in Jason Ruffcorn and Carmichael – which doesn’t exactly imply good things are ahead in the series finale.
The rubber match of the three-game set will be back at L. Dale Mitchell Park on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. CT.