Tag: Pete Hughes

Oklahoma baseball capped off their weekend series against Kansas State on Sunday in a rubber match after the two teams split a doubleheader on Saturday.

With the gauntlet of the Big 12 schedule, it’s likely both teams felt this was an opportunity they needed to seize to get a series win. Unfortunately for the Sooners, the team to do just that was wearing purple.

Getting the start for Oklahoma was Jaret Godman, who has spent the bulk of his Sooners career in the bullpen and has resided there as one of the team’s better relievers throughout the season. He wouldn’t be at his best, being removed with two outs in the third inning after allowing five hits and two runs. He would go on to get a no decision.

Oklahoma, however, was the first team to get on the scoreboard with an RBI single by catcher Jimmy Crooks in the opening frame to put them ahead 1-0. The Wildcats would proceed to work two runs off of Godman in the second and third innings to take a 2-1 edge that they would hold into the fifth.

The Sooners would get the lead back at that point on a run-scoring knock from center fielder Tanner Tredaway and a sacrifice fly from designated hitter Jace Bohrofen. But, their 3-2 lead would not last for long.

In the bottom of the fifth, Kansas State would strike for four runs off of right-hander Luke Taggart (1-4) to assume a 6-3 advantage. They would tack on two more runs in the following inning off of Carson Carter (both unearned) to make it an 8-3 lead heading to the late innings.

From there, the score would hold with the Oklahoma bats going quiet and unable to muster any more offense. Wildcats right-hander Tyler Eckberg was dominant after entering in the fifth inning allowing just two total hits and no runs over four innings pitched. Right-hander Kasey Ford would lock things down in the final frame putting the Sooners down in order with a pair of strikeouts.

The loss dips Oklahoma to 19-17 overall and 4-8 in Big 12 play with a series loss that will certainly sting given the circumstances. For a team trying to climb back into the NCAA Tournament picture, losing a road series to another team trying to do the same is a missed opportunity. The fact that team is also coached by former Sooners signal caller Pete Hughes certainly adds a little frustration as well.

There is still baseball to be played and certainly everything is still on the table, but time is starting to become a factor for the team in trying to improve their resume enough to get consideration for a postseason bid. They have to find way to start stockpiling wins – and fast.

After a day off tomorrow, Oklahoma will do battle with Texas Tech in a non-conference matchup on Tuesday night in Amarillo, Texas.

Oklahoma baseball’s series with Kansas State was able to get underway with a doubleheader on Saturday after the originally scheduled Friday opener was postponed due to inclement weather.

For the first game, the Sooners went with an interesting approach to their starting pitching by beginning the game with left-hander Jake Bennett before turning to right-hander Wyatt Olds in the fifth. Olds and Bennett have both been weekend starters since the beginning of the season, and have never been used in the same game like they were on Saturday.

Bennett was solid over his 4 1/3 innings pitched, allowing just two earned runs to cross and only four hits while striking out six. Olds (3-3) relieved him in the fifth looking to find some success that has eluded him throughout the year and he found it for one of his best outings of the season.

While he would wind up getting the loss, he was superb pitching 5 1/3 innings only allowing a single run and keeping Oklahoma in the game all afternoon long and giving them a chance. The bats just weren’t able to generate enough offense.

The first run of the game wouldn’t come until the fifth when center fielder Tanner Tredaway picked up an RBI single to get the Sooners out in front 1-0. But, the Wildcats would respond right back to get their first lead with two runs in the bottom half to knock Bennett out of the game.

The game would remain 2-1 all the way to the ninth inning when Oklahoma would put together a rally with third baseman Peyton Graham coming in to score the tying run on a fielder’s choice off the bat of second baseman Conor McKenna. The game would need an extra frame to decide a winner.

Unfortunately for the Sooners, after they were turned away empty in the top of the tenth, Olds would allow some baserunners before first baseman Dylan Phillips got the walk-off single off of left-hander Ledgend Smith. The run was charged to Olds and Kansas State took the front end of the doubleheader 3-2.

In the second game, Skip Johnson would go with the normal Sunday starter in left-hander Braden Carmichael. He was dynamite through four shutout innings, but ran into serious trouble in the fifth allowing four runs and only recording an out before being relieved in favor of the right-handed Carson Carter (2-0).

Oklahoma got out to a quick lead striking for three runs in the opening inning highlighted by a two-run home run by third baseman Peyton Graham. The game would remain 3-0 Sooners through three frames.

In the fourth, Skip Johnson’s club would put up three more runs on a pair of home runs by left fielder Breydon Daniel (solo) and designated hitter Jace Bohrofen (two runs). It was with a 6-0 lead that Carmichael would allow the Wildcats to strike for four runs and make it a 6-4 game in the fifth.

Carter, who relieved Carmichael, was superb pitching three shutout innings to keep Oklahoma clinging to the two-run lead. Preseason All-American closer Jason Ruffcorn would enter the game with one out in the eighth to attempt to get the five-out save.

After finishing the job in the eighth, the ninth inning got hairy with the Wildcats getting runners on second and third with one out. But Ruffcorn did what he often does in tight spots: strike out his way to victory. He would pick up two key ones (four total on the night) to shut things down and get his third save of the season and get the Sooners the doubleheader split.

After the two games, Oklahoma now sits at 19-16 on the season and 4-7 in conference play. Doubleheaders are always difficult to win both ends of, so getting the split to give them a chance to win the series on Sunday should mostly be viewed as a success.

That being said, the finale of the series now has the feel of an extremely important game for the Sooners to attempt to pick up the road series win. Every game is precious as the team looks to climb into the NCAA Tournament conversation, so tomorrow feels imperative that they find a way to get it done.

Game three of the series will be back in Manhattan on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. CT.

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