OU Makes Use of Mistakes to Win Fifth Straight

Originally Published: Mar 6, 2010 9:43 PM CDT

Corey DeMoss
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

NORMAN, Oklahoma – The Oklahoma baseball team escaped with a 4-3 victory over South Florida Saturday to extend its winning streak to five games.

USF tied the game at three in the seventh inning, but the Sooners (10-1) managed to score the game-winning run in the eighth thanks to a series of Bulls mistakes.

Ross Hubbard struck out swinging, but the ball got away from USF catcher Andrew Longley and allowed Hubbard to reach first with one out. Pitcher Ray Delphey then committed a two-base throwing error, which sent Hubbard from first to third. Longley mishandled another ball moments later, and pinch runner Eric Ross scored. Delphey struck out the next two batters, but the damage was done.

The Sooners first took the lead in the second inning when Kaleb Harren scored on a Caleb Bushyhead sacrifice fly. South Florida tied it with a run of its own in the top of the sixth. OU built a two-run lead in the bottom of the sixth thanks to two solo home runs by Chris Ellison and Garrett Buechele, but USF tied it back up with two runs in the seventh.

Jeremy Erben earned his fourth win of the season with one inning of relief work, and Ryan Duke struck out two of the three batters he faced in the ninth to get his fifth save.

The Sooners have now won five straight games since suffering their first loss of the season to Jacksonville. They will finish the Sooner Classic at 2 p.m. Sunday against Stephen F. Austin.