Sunday College Baseball Roundup

Cowboys Top Texas For Fifth-Straight Big 12 Series Win

AUSTIN, Texas – Oklahoma State recorded its fifth-straight Big 12 Conference series win with an 8-3 triumph over 10th-ranked Texas in Sunday's series finale at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

With the win, the No. 9 Cowboys improved to 31-13 overall and maintained their first-place standing in the Big 12 at 13-5. With two series remaining, OSU owns a 1 ½ game lead in the conference standings.

OSU's five consecutive league series wins are its most since the 2008 Cowboys won six in a row. Coach Josh Holliday's ballclub is one of just four in school history to win at least five-straight Big 12 series since the conference's inaugural season in 1996 (1997, 2006 and 2008).

In Sunday's finale, Craig McConaughy continued his hot hitting, leading the Cowboys with a 3-for-4 day at the plate that included a career-high three RBIs.

On the mound, Vince Wheeland made only his second start of the season and picked up the win with a pre-determined three-inning effort to improve to 5-0. The senior right-hander was one of four pitchers used by the Cowboys on the day.

McConaughy gave the Cowboys a lead they would never surrender with a memorable first at bat in the second inning. With a runner on second, the senior playing in his hometown crushed his first-career home run into the bullpen in left field, a blast that came in his 112th career at bat and put OSU on top, 2-0. It marked just the second homer by a UT opponent at Disch-Falk Field this season.

Texas (32-13, 10-8) cut its deficit in half in the bottom of the inning, getting their lone run off Wheeland on a solo home run by Tres Barrera to make the score 2-1.

The fourth inning proved to be the pivotal one for the Cowboys.

UT starter Nathan Thornhill entered the game leading the Big 12 in ERA at 0.97, having allowed just seven runs in 64 2/3 innings in 13 appearances. But the Cowboys would knock him from the game with a five-run rally in the fourth.

Following a leadoff walk to Gage Green, Zach Fish stepped to the plate and delivered OSU's second two-run homer of the game. Fish's team-leading eighth bomb gave the Cowboys a 4-1 advantage, but they weren't done yet.

Tim Arakawa followed Fish with a single and stole second base, and McConaughy delivered his third RBI of the game with a single. Up next, it was Brian Case's turn as he drove in a run with his first hit since Feb. 27, an RBI single that made the score 6-1.

The final run in the frame came compliments of Tanner Krietemeier on a fielder's choice RBI as OSU took a 7-1 advantage after 3 ½ innings.

With the comfortable lead, the OSU bullpen combination of Blake Battenfield, Alex Hackerott and Brendan McCurry held the Longhorns to just two runs – only one of them earned – over the final six innings to seal the win for the Cowboys.

Along with McConaughy, Fish and Arakawa each had multiple hits in the contest, with both collecting two.

OSU returns to action Wednesday night when the Cowboys travel to Wichita, Kan., to take on Wichita State.

Sooners Swept By Texas Tech

LUBBOCK, Texas – The University of Oklahoma baseball team scored first in every game of the series, but was swept after a 14-4 loss at No. 21 Texas Tech on Sunday afternoon. The Sooners have dropped five in a row and are now 25-20 overall and 5-10 in the Big 12, while the Red Raiders improved to 35-13 and 11-7.

Oklahoma staged a two-out rally in the top of the second to claim the first lead of the day. Freshman designated hitter Austin O'Brien walked, sophomore second baseman Kolbey Carpenter singled and the two moved into scoring position on a double steal. Senior shortstop Hector Lorenzana delivered both to the plate with a single to right-center.

Texas Tech answered with an unearned run in the bottom of the second and the Sooners were able to get it back with one in the third. Junior catcher Mac James hit a two-out double to right and scored on a single from sophomore first baseman Anthony Hermelyn.

In the bottom of the third, the Red Raiders gained the lead on a three-run line drive home run to left by first baseman Eric Gutierrez.

Oklahoma tied the game, 4-4, in the top of the fourth on a solo home run by Carpenter.

Texas Tech went on top again in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run, bases loaded single by catcher Hunter Redman. The Red Raiders would add one more on a sacrifice-fly to push the lead to 7-4 and never look back.

Tech poured in six runs in the sixth inning to run-rule the Sooners.

Sophomore right-hander Ralph Garza Jr. made his first start of the season and went three-plus. He dropped to 5-2 on the season as he surrendered seven runs, six earned, on eight hits and two walks.

Left-hander Dylan Dusek pitched four innings in a no-decision. He allowed four runs on seven hits and a walk. The win went to right-hander Dominic Moreno (3-5) in a three-inning relief effort. He gave up three hits and struck out four.

Oklahoma collected 10 hits in the game and at least one in each of the first six innings. Carpenter went 2-for-3, while James and sophomore center fielder Craig Aikin each went 2-for-4.

Gutierrez went 2-for-3 on the day with four RBI, three runs and two home runs.

The Sooners are back at home on Tuesday night for a 6:00 pm game against Dallas Baptist at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

Oral Roberts Crushes Corpus Christi In Mercy-Rule Decision

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Big innings to start the game lifted the Oral Roberts baseball team on Sunday afternoon as the Golden Eagles blasted the Islanders of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 17-6 in a mercy-rule victory.

ORU moved to 23-20 on the season and 10-11 in Southland Conference action to move into a two-way tie with Central Arkansas for eighth place. The Islanders had a seven-game winning streak snapped and moved to 25-19 and 14-7 in league action.

It was the first time the Golden Eagles scored 17 or more runs since May 21, 2011, when ORU topped Southern Utah, 18-4.

The Golden Eagles scattered a season high 23 hits in the game, the first 20-hit game for ORU since the 2011 season. Anthony Sequeira went 5-5 in the game, with a double, two RBI's and scored four runs scored. Logan Domenico picked up four hits, drove in two and scored twice, while Tyler Boss drove in five and scored twice on three hits.

Pepe Gomez (6-3) struggled in the start on the mound, but battled through 5.1 innings, allowing six runs on 10 hits. Gomez struck out seven batters in the win.

Jordan Lee led the Islanders with three hits and scored three times, while Frankie Salas and Josh Garza each had a pair of hits in the game. The Islanders sent six pitchers to the mound, with Davin Skapura (4-3) taking the loss in just a third of inning, allowing six runs on five hits.

Boss started the scoring with no outs in the top of the first with a three-run double into right center that brought home Emmanuel Forcier, Domenico and Jose Trevino. Following an RBI single off the bat of Sequeira, Audie Afenir doubled down the right field line to plate Joey Migliaccio and Sequeira, making it a 6-0 game.

The six-run inning was the second-biggest for ORU this season.

In the home half of the first, the scoring continued as the Islanders plated a pair of runs on a two-run single by Cody Stephens to cut the lead to 6-2.

ORU batted around for the second time in as many innings as six Golden Eagles came across the plate on seven hits in the second inning. Sequeira picked up an RBI double, Afenir tallied an RBI on a sacrifice fly, Healy singled in a run and Domenico brought home a run with a double to extend the Golden Eagle lead to 10-2.

Boss rounded out the scoring in the top of the second with a two-run single to center, giving him five RBI's through the first two half innings for the Golden Eagles.

The Islanders answered again in the bottom of the third as Brandon Tierney picked up a pair of RBI's on a single into right center and Tyler Ware followed with a fielder's choice that plated a run to make it 12-5.

Leading off the top of the third, Migliaccio extended the Golden Eagles lead to 13-5 with a solo blast into the parking lot beyond the right field wall, his first home run of the season.

Following a couple of scoreless half innings by both teams, the Islanders' Jordan Lee scored as Salas doubled down the third base line, cutting the lead to 13-6. But the Golden Eagles answered in the next half inning on an RBI single to left center by Domenico to score Sequeira, making it a 14-6 game.

In the bottom of the fifth, Gomez sat the Islanders down in order, the first time either squad went 1-2-3 in an inning.

The Golden Eagles added three runs in the top of the seventh to make it 17-6. Sequeira started the inning with a single and scored on an Afenir single that was bobbled by the Islander right fielder. Healy followed with a single to bring home Afenir, and Forcier singled home Healy, to make it a 17-6 game.

Jordan Romano entered in the bottom of the seventh to close the game in a non-save situation.

ORU looks to continue its midweek success on Tuesday night as the Golden Eagles host No. 21 Texas Tech at J.L. Johnson Stadium. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.