Oklahoma 4, Oklahoma St. 2

Thursday, May 22nd 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Oklahoma kept its season alive while perhaps ending Oklahoma State's, beating the Cowboys 4-2 Thursday in an elimination game at the Big 12 baseball tournament.

Oklahoma's only chance to play in the NCAA tournament is to win the conference tournament and get the automatic bid, since the Sooners are just 23-30. Oklahoma State (34-24) began this event hoping for an at-large bid, but didn't help itself by going two and out.

David Purcey (3-3) pitched seven innings for the victory, allowing seven hits and striking out seven. Jarod McAuliff gave up just one hit in the final two innings to get his ninth save.

The Sooners took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI single by Eddie Cornejo. Oklahoma State tied it in the second on Jason Jaramillo's ninth homer.

Cornejo came through again in the third with a sacrifice fly, then Andrew McGuire hit a two-run homer in the fourth for a 4-1 lead.

Oklahoma State's final run came on an RBI double by Josh Fields in the fifth.

The Sooners will play Friday afternoon against the loser of Thursday's game between Texas and Texas A&M. Oklahoma lost 11-2 to A&M on Wednesday.