NORMAN, Okla. – Oklahoma defeated UTSA 8-3 in game one of Sunday's doubleheader, 8-3.
The Sooners (8-5) used a gem of a performance from starting pitcher David Sandlin to best the Roadrunners (10-4). Sandlin went for eight innings and allowed only two Roadrunner hits. The first of which didn't come until the sixth inning.
The Roadrunners have now dropped three of their last five games, including the first two of the weekend series to Oklahoma.
The Roadrunners had four different pitchers take the mound today against Oklahoma. Again, like yesterday, the Sooners' offense produced in the third inning as they put up four runs to open their lead. UTSA's bullpen of Reece Easterling, Abraham DeLeon and Fischer Kingsbery were able to keep the Sooners in check, holding them to only three more runs in the game.
On offense, UTSA made a late run in the top of the ninth, but it wasn't enough. Chase Keng ignited the offensive flame as he had a 2RBI double which gave UTSA its first runs of the game. Ryan Flores was able to plate Keng on a single to center and gave the Roadrunners their third run.
Oklahoma scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the second inning. Sooner shortstop Cade Horton was hit by a pitch and later stole second. Then, with two outs, Oklahoma's DH Brett Squires blooped a single to right field to score Horton and put the Sooners on the board.
The Sooners struck again in the bottom of the third. The Sooners rattled off four singles in a row and then saw their next two batters walk. At the end of the inning, OU had four runs and its lead sat at 5-0.
OU added another run in the bottom of the fourth when second-baseman Jackson Nicklaus launched a solo homer over the right field wall making the score 6-0. The homerun was the Sooners' first of the weekend series.
Oklahoma tacked on a seventh run in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a Brett Squires single. The Sooners then proceeded to load the bases with no outs. Abraham DeLeon took the mound for UTSA and struck out his first batter and had his second batter ground into a double play to end the inning.
The Sooners added a run in the eighth when UTSA failed a pickoff attempt at first, allowing the runner on third to come across the plate for an 8-0 lead.
UTSA made a run late in the game, as in the ninth inning, Matt King sent a double to left to get things started. Then, second-baseman Leyton Barry singled to left and moved King to third. With one out, Chase Keng stepped up to the plate and smacked a 2RBI double to center scoring both baserunners. Then, with Keng on second, Ryan Flores singled to center to score Keng and give the Roadrunners their third run of the game. That's all they would get though as UTSA grounded out to end the game and fell to OU, 8-3.
Sunday Game One Notes
Home Runs
UTSA: N/A
Oklahoma: Jackson Nicklaus (2)
WP – David Sandlin (2-2): 8.0 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 6 strikeouts, 1 walk
LP – Ulises Quiroga (1-2): 3.1 IP, 5 hits, 5 runs, 3 strikeouts, 3 walks
Up Next
UTSA will play again at L. Dale Mitchell Park later today for the second part of the Sunday doubleheader against the Sooners. First pitch for game three will be 45 minutes following the conclusion of game two.
