Sooners Unable to Overcome Dominant Pitching

Originally Published: Apr 23, 2010 9:49 PM CDT

Corey DeMoss
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. 17 OU baseball team struggled against strong pitching on the way to a 6-2 loss to Texas A&M Friday.

The Sooners (27-11, 6-8) mustered offense in only the fifth inning, scoring both of their runs – one of which was unearned – on two hits. They connected on only two hits in the other eight innings combined, as Barret Loux (6-2) and Michael Wacha combined to pitch almost flawless baseball.

Loux earned the win after giving up all four hits and only one earned run while striking out 10 in seven innings of work. Wacha entered in relief, pitched two innings without giving up a hit and struck out five of the seven batters he faced.

J.R. Robinson (1-3) started for OU and scattered three runs across the first four innings to give the Aggies (22-14-1, 2-4-1) an early 3-0 lead. The Sooners’ two-run fifth cut the lead to one, and Robinson kept A&M from extending its advantage.

Robinson pitched into the seventh inning, but Jeremy Erben entered in relief with two out and two runners on base. He gave up a three-run home run to Caleb Shofner and was immediately pulled, but the damage was done.

Robinson was credited with the first two runs driven in by Shofner’s homer, and got the loss after finishing with five earned runs in 6.2 innings of work.

The loss now gives Sooners five in their last seven games, their worst extended slide of the season. The Aggies have won two in a row after suffering through six consecutive losses. Texas A&M had not won a conference game since April 9, a five-game drought.

The teams will continue their weekend series at 2:05 p.m. Saturday and finish at 1:05 p.m. Sunday. The Sooners will next return home at 7 p.m. Tuesday to face Dallas Baptist.