OU Baseball: Seven-Run First Doesn't Stand Up for OU

The University of Oklahoma baseball team scored seven runs in the first, but allowed 10 unanswered on the way to a 12-7 loss to West Virginia in front of 1,108 at L. Dale Mitchell Park on Sunday afternoon. The Sooners evened their overall record at 20-20-1 and fell to 6-9 in the Big 12. The Mountaineers improved to 20-18 and 6-8.

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WVU catcher Ray Guerrini put his team in front in the fifth with a two-run, two-out home run off the batter’s eye in center. The Mountaineers added to their narrow one-run lead in the seventh with a grand slam off the bat of third baseman Cole Austin.

Oklahoma initially overcame a two-run deficit in the first by pouring in seven runs on seven hits in the bottom half. Senior right fielder Alex Wise (Neosho, Mo.) and junior center fielder Ben Hollas (Longview, Texas) singled to start the inning then freshman center fielder Steele Walker (Prosper, Texas) tied the game with a two-run, two-out double to right. Six straight would reach for the Sooners, including a three-run jack by freshman catcher Domenic DeRenzo (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Wise’s second single of the inning.

The Mountaineers chipped away at a five-run deficit with a run in the second and two in the third. The fifth started with a leadoff-double by first baseman Jackson Cramer, who opened the scoring with a RBI-double in the first. A RBI-single from second baseman Kyle Davis then set up Guerrini’s go-ahead homer.

Right-hander Michael Grove (1-2) came on in relief in the first inning for West Virginia. Entering with two out and seven runs in, he then went the distance and struck out 13 over 8.1 innings, while scattering four hits and two walks. Right-hander BJ Myers was tagged with all seven earned runs in 0.2 innings of the start.

Senior right-hander Keaton Hernandez (Palm Springs, Calif.) was the third Sooner pitcher of the day and took the loss. Junior right-hander JB Olson (Shady Shores, Texas) lasted two innings in the start with three runs, two earned, against him on five hits and a walk. Junior lefty Austin Kerns (Owasso, Okla.) then gave up two unearned runs in an inning of work before he was relieved. Hernandez (0-2) surrendered three runs on four hits and a walk in 1.2 innings of relief.

West Virginia outhit Oklahoma, 14-10 for the game. Shortstop Jimmy Galusky went 3-for-5 with a RBI and four others added two-hit games. For the Sooners, Wise led the way with a 3-for-5 performance. Walker went 2-for-4 and junior designated hitter Cody Thomas (Colleyville, Texas) added a 2-for-3 game with a walk and a RBI.

Oklahoma is off in the midweek before hitting the road for a Big 12 series at Kansas, which begins Friday, April 29 at 6:00 pm.