Sooners Unable to Overcome Strong Texas Pitching

Originally Published: Apr 1, 2010 9:40 PM CDT

Corey DeMoss
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

NORMAN, Oklahoma – The No. 9 OU baseball team could not get anything going at the plate and was shut out for the second time in four games in a 4-0 loss to rival No. 7 Texas Thursday.

The Sooners (22-4) managed to connect on just four base hits, none of which came after the sixth inning. Taylor Jungmann started the game for Texas (19-7) and gave up all four hits in seven innings of work, while striking out six and walking just two. Chance Ruffin closed the door by striking out six of the seven batters he faced.

Zach Neal had a strong start for the Sooners, striking out nine and giving up three runs in 5.2 innings. He gave up a home run to Russell Moldenhaur in the second inning to start the scoring, and a critical wild pitch allowed Texas to score two more in the fifth.

After the Longhorns failed to convert on a sacrifice bunt, they had runners at first and second with one out. But Neal threw a pitch in the dirt that got away from catcher Tyler Ogle. Both runners advanced, giving UT two runners in scoring position and eliminating the possibility of a double play. Both runners eventually scored, stretching the lead to 3-0.

Cameron Rupp connected on a sacrifice fly in the seventh and Paul Montalbano added an RBI single in the ninth to finish the scoring.

The loss came in OU’s third game in as many days, with the Sooners winning the previous two over Arkansas-Pine Bluff by a combined score of 39-4. The Sooners will continue their three-game series against Texas at 6:30 p.m. Friday and finish it at 2 p.m. Saturday.