Saturday College Baseball Roundup

OSU Takes Down TCU

After a series-opening loss to TCU Friday night, the Oklahoma State Cowboys righted the ship Saturday afternoon, downing the Horned Frogs 4-1.

The Cowboys got two terrific outings from starter Mark Robinette and reliever Vince Wheeland. The two combined to limit TCU to just five hits. Robinette got the win, giving up four hits, two walks and the single TCU run while striking out seven. Wheeland pitched the final four innings, giving up just one hit and striking out six while getting the save.

Brandon Finnegan took the loss for TCU.

The Horned Frogs struck first in the bottom of the fourth inning, when Paul Hendrix doubled before Jantzen Witte singled to drive him home.

OSU responded with three runs in the top of the sixth inning. Aaron Cornell walked to start the ending and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Donnie Walton. After Saulyer Saxon reached on a fielding error by Witte, Tanner Krietemeier doubled to left, scoring Cornell. Randy McCurry then singled, scoring Saxon, and Krietemeier scored after a wild throw from TCU shortstop Keaton Jones.

OSU collected another run in the top of the seventh on a sacrifice fly from Cornell that scored Walton.

That was all Wheeland would need, as he struck out six of the last nine batters he faced.

The two teams face off in the rubber match of the series Sunday at 1 p.m.

Sooners Top Baylor

Thanks to another great pitching performance from Dillon Overton and timely hitting in the seventh and ninth inning, the eighth-ranked University of Oklahoma baseball team defeated Baylor 3-1 Saturday afternoon in Waco, Texas.

On a beautiful afternoon at Baylor Ballpark, OU (28-7, 8-3 Big 12) came from behind with two runs in the seventh inning and an insurance run in the ninth to win the second game of its series with BU (18-17, 6-4). The win sets up Sunday's series finale. Both the Sooners and Bears have not lost a Big 12 Conference series this season.

Overton threw 8.0 innings and allowed just one run on six hits and had eight strikeouts. The right-hander improved to 7-2 on the season. The lone run came in the second inning. Baylor had several other chances to add to its lead, but Overton escaped every jam he got into.

The Sooner offense plated two runs in the top of the seventh, both thanks to Hector Lorenzana. His one-out single to left drove in Oberste for OU's first run and he scored the go-ahead run on a fielding error by the BU shortstop.

The seventh inning began with a double down the right field line by Matt Oberste. Kolbey Carpenter's sacrifice bunt sent him to third before Lorenzana's RBI single. Anthony Hermelyn's single through the right side sent Lorenzana to third and a fielding error by the shortstop allowed Garrett Carey to reach and score Lorenzana.

Overton allowed just one runner to reach in the bottom half of the seventh on an error before he allowed a leadoff double in the eighth. However, the Baylor runner could not advance past second, as Overton struck out the next two batters before getting the third out via an infield popup.

In the ninth, the Sooners got an insurance run in the form of a two-out RBI single up the middle from Craig Aikin that scored Carey. OU had runners on first and second with no outs and again with two outs before Oklahoma's third run scored. Carey reached base after being hit by a pitch.

Jacob Evans came in to pitch the ninth and retired the side in order to earn his seventh save of the season.

The Sooners and Bears will play the third and deciding game of the series Sunday at 1 p.m.

ORU Falls To SE Louisiana

For the second straight game, the Oral Roberts baseball team jumped out to a quick lead after the first inning, but mistakes costs the Golden Eagles on Saturday as they fell to Southeastern Louisiana, 4-3.

Kevin Cho drew a walk to start the bottom of the first for ORU, Logan Domenico got a free pass two batters later and Tyler Boss was plunked by a pitch to load the bases full of Golden Eagles with two outs.

The bases quickly cleared as Nate Goro ripped a three-run double to left-center, clearing the bases. Despite batting around in the inning, Goro's double was the only hit in the frame for the Golden Eagles.

ORU finished the game with a total of three hits, including a double from Chris Williams in the sixth and a Boss single in the eighth.

Southeastern Louisiana began to chip away at the lead in the top of the third. With Kyle Cedotal standing on third, after starting the inning with a walk and was moved over to third on a Harry Slade single, Cedotal scored the Lions first run as he was driven in by Jameson Fisher who singled to left.

In the top of the sixth, Sam Roberson picked up a one-out double into down the line in right, advanced to third on a pass ball and scored as Ladd Rhodes grounded out.

The Lions played small ball in the top of the seventh. Alex Marsh entered the game to pinch run for Brett Hoffman following a walk.

Marsh moved over to second as Cedotal reached on a misplayed sacrifice bunt and both runners moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt from Ben Hernandez. The next batters, Slade, grounded out to second to plate Marsh and tie the game at three.

In the Lion half of the ninth, Marsh scored the go-ahead run on no hits and two Golden Eagle errors. Marsh reached on fielder's choice, and Aaron Haag, who reached on a error, was safe at second. Haag was eventually put out at third as Cedotal reached on a fielder's choice and Marsh moved to second.

Unfortunately, Marsh crossed the plate two batters later on a Golden Eagle throwing error, the third of the afternoon for ORU.

Of the four runs allowed by Golden Eagle pitchers, only one was credited as an earned run as the Lions only reached on five hits in the game. Drew Bowen got the start, going 6.1 innings with a strikeout, three runs and five hits. Alec Smith looked good in 2.2 innings, not allowing a hit or an earned run.

However, Smith earned the loss in the contest, while Mason Klotz got the win for SLU.

Of the 27 putouts in the game, many of those were groundouts as Williams was credited with 16, the second most this season. He had 17 putouts in the 15 inning contest at Oklahoma on March 19.

ORU moves to 10-23 overall on the season and 5-6 in conference play. The rubber match with Southeastern Louisiana (24-12, 8-3) is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon at J.L. Johnson Stadium.