Oklahoma baseball has returned to home soil after an ultra brief road trip for a three game home series with Houston. The Sooners got things started off on the right foot with a 7-2 win over the Cougars on Friday night.
The storyline of the game was the resurgence of No. 1 starter Wyatt Olds, who had a sorely-needed good outing after some tough trips to the mound in recent weeks. He tossed six very solid innings allowing just one run and racking up ten strikeouts. He earned his first win of the season for his efforts.
After the teams traded runs in the second inning, catcher Jimmy Crooks gave Oklahoma the lead in the third on a solo home run down the right field line. The score would stick at 2-1 through the fifth inning.
In the sixth, the Sooners would plate three key runs to give themselves some much appreciated breathing room. Shortstop Brandon Zaragoza knocked in two on a single and Crooks tacked on an other RBI with a single through the right side.
Second baseman Conor McKenna would provide some insurance in the bottom of the eighth with a two-run single of his own, with Jason Ruffcorn coming in in a non-save situation to lock things down in the ninth.
The win moves Oklahoma to 10-7 on the season as it really feels like the team is starting to gain some serious momentum. The Olds outing is obviously hugely welcomed as it feels instrumental that he get himself going for the team to reach their full potential. This was a really good sign from him.
Offensively, the team continued to consistently find ways to put runs on the board. More often than not, seven runs is going to win you baseball games. The bats have been working for awhile now with no signs of stopping.
Game two of the series will be tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. CT back at L. Dale Mitchell Park.
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