OSU, OU Fall In Sunday Baseball Action

No. 12 OSU dropped the final game of a three-game series to No. 24 San Diego, while OU fell to Rutgers in Norman.

Sunday, March 9th 2014, 7:56 pm

By: News 9


Cowboys Drop Final Game Of Series

STILLWATER, Okla. – Oklahoma State was shut out for the first time this season Sunday as No. 24 San Diego claimed a series victory with a 7-0 win over the 12th-ranked Cowboys at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.

OSU managed just six hits in the contest and struck out nine times as the Cowboys fell to 11-4.

Louie Lechich proved to be a nemesis to the Cowboys both on the mound and at the plate. The southpaw tossed a complete game and was also 3-for-5 with an RBI in the contest.

USD (10-4) took an early lead off OSU starter Conor Costello with two runs in the second, getting two-out, RBI singles from Hunter Mercado-Hood and Lechich.

Costello lasted just three innings, giving up three runs on six hits while walking four to fall to 0-1 on the season.

Zach Fish was the lone Cowboy with multiple hits in the contest as OSU's right fielder finished 2-for-3.

The Toreros recorded 15 hits – all of them singles – against seven different OSU pitchers.

OSU returns to action Tuesday when the Cowboys host Wichita State. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. at Reynolds Stadium.

 

Oklahoma Falls to Rutgers, 8-6

NORMAN, Okla. – The University of Oklahoma baseball team left the bases loaded in the ninth as it dropped an 8-6, back-and-forth affair with Rutgers at L. Dale Mitchell Park on Sunday afternoon. The Sooners fell to 11-5 on the season, while the Scarlet Knights improved to 4-8.

Junior first baseman Mac James went 4-for-4 at the plate with three runs and one RBI for Oklahoma. He came to the plate with two runners on and just one out in the bottom of the ninth. Sophomore catcher Anthony Hermelyn singled and redshirt-junior right fielder Taylor Alspaugh was hit by a pitch. James was then carefully walked to load the bases in a two-run game.

Rutgers signaled to its bullpen for right-handed closer Jon Young. He worked quickly and got a pair of pop-flies to end the game for his third save of the season.

Lefty Max Herrmann (1-0) claimed the win for the Scarlet Knights in three innings of relief. He gave up one run on two hits and three walks. The loss went to redshirt-senior RHP Drew Krittenbrink. Krittenbrink (0-1) allowed two runs on one hit and two walks in one inning of work.

The game got off to a fast start in the top of the first inning as RU plated three runs. The Scarlet Knights strung together four hits and were aided by a pair of OU errors. The Sooners responded with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. Sophomore center fielder Craig Aikin led things off by placing a hit into shallow left-center and hustled all the way for a double. He would later score from third on a balk and Oklahoma would add another as Alspaugh hit a sac-fly to bring in junior second baseman Keach Ballard, who singled earlier in the frame.

In the bottom of the second, senior shortstop Hector Lorenzana picked up an RBI with two runners in scoring position and one out on a groundout to short to tie the game, 3-3.

Freshman right-hander Jake Elliott settled in after allowing three runs in the first. He lasted six innings and only allowed those three runs on seven hits and three walks. He left the game with a 5-3 lead as the Sooners were able to score twice in the sixth inning.

James and sophomore left fielder Hunter Haley set the table in the sixth with back-to-back singles. Freshman DH Niko Buentello gave Oklahoma its first lead of the day with a base hit to right field and Lorenzana plated Haley on a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 5-3.

Rutgers responded by scoring three runs off sophomore left-handed reliever Jacob Evans in the visitor's half of the seventh. With two outs in the home half, James belted his second home run of the season, a solo jack over the 385' mark in left-center field to tie the game at six.

The Scarlet Knights continued to put runs on the OU bullpen in the eighth as they took the lead for good. An infield single by first baseman Brian O'Grady loaded the bases with just one out. Ballard, who had shifted to shortstop, came up with the ball cleanly in the hole, but had no play. Left fielder Vinny Zarrillo then added an infield single of his own to score the go-ahead run. Zarrillo's hit appeared to be heading foul down the third base line until a late bounce brought it definitively toward the field of play. Freshman third baseman Sheldon Neuse fielded and threw to first, but Zarrillo was safe. RU added some insurance on a sac-fly by catcher Michael Zavala.

Zarrillo finished the day 4-for-5 with three runs driven in and two scored. Five other Scarlet Knights recorded a two-hit day, including second baseman Nick Favatella, who scored three times. For the Sooners, five players recorded multi-hit games. Haley went 3-for-4 with a run scored, while Hermelyn went 3-for-5.

Oklahoma's homestand is interrupted with a road game against Texas-Arlington on Tuesday when the two teams meet at the Ballpark at Arlington for a 7 p.m. contest.

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