Blandford's 12 Ks Lift Cowboys Past Oklahoma

Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Tyler Blandford allowed two hits in 8 1-3 innings and struck out a career-high 12 batters as Oklahoma State kept alive its slim hopes of qualifying for the Big 12 tournament by beating Oklahoma 5-1 on Sunday.

Michael Dabbs and Kevin David each hit a solo home run for Oklahoma State (30-21, 7-15), which salvaged the final game of the annual Bedlam series. To qualify for the eight-team conference tournament, the Cowboys will need to sweep a road series next weekend at Texas Tech and hope last-place Nebraska sweeps visiting Baylor.

Oklahoma State has played in 31 straight conference tournaments, a streak that started in 1978.

The loss by Oklahoma (37-16, 14-10) clinched the Big 12 regular-season title for Texas. The Sooners remained tied for second place with Texas A&M, which lost to the Longhorns 5-4 on Sunday.

The teams played much of the game in light rain, but umpires never stopped the game. The grounds crew did apply drying agent to parts of the infield dirt after the fifth inning. Many in the crowd of 5,213 at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark wore rain gear to fend off the elements.
Dabbs and David each hit solo home runs in the fourth off Oklahoma starter Garrett Richards (7-3) to put the Cowboys up 2-1.

In the sixth, Oklahoma State had four hits, three of them of the infield variety. Neil Medchill's single off Richards' glove scored Dabbs, and Tom Belza's two-out single to right field brought home Tyrone Hambly, who had reached on a bunt single.

Medchill scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-1.

Oklahoma put two runners on base with one out in the eighth, but Blandford (7-3) coaxed a groundout from Garrett Buechele, then was the beneficiary of a stellar defensive play by David, who speared a sinking line drive by Casey Johnson at first base.

While playing catcher Saturday night, David had allowed four passed balls in the ninth inning, leading to two decisive runs in Oklahoma's 7-5 win.

Jeff Breedlove needed only three pitches to get the final two outs on Jamie Johnson's double-play grounder.

Blandford's previous career high for strikeouts was 11, against both Rhode Island and Nebraska this season.

Oklahoma broke a scoreless tie in the third, as No. 9 batter Kaleb Herren walked, went to third base on a double by Jamie Johnson and scored on a wild pitch by Blandford. The Sooners got only one other hit in the game, a fourth-inning single by Casey Johnson.

Oklahoma batters struck out 32 times during the three-game series.