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Taylor Alspaugh recorded just a single hit on Tuesday night in Oklahoma's game against UT-Arlington but it was by far the most important hit of the game. With the score tied at 2-2, the game went into an extra frame and Alspaugh sent the first pitch of the inning over the right field wall to put the Sooners back in front 3-2 and, on a bad night for Big Twelve baseball, that would be all OU needed to win.
Tuesday's Big XII Baseball Scores
|
Kansas |
7 |
Oral Roberts |
8 |
Lawrence, Kan. |
|
Oklahoma State |
4 |
Wichita State |
6 |
Stillwater, Okla. |
|
Rice |
5 |
TCU |
0 |
Houston, Texas |
|
Texas State |
3 |
Texas |
6 |
San Marcos, Texas |
|
Houston |
7 |
Baylor |
2 |
Houston, Texas |
|
Texas Tech |
6 |
Abilene Christian |
2 |
Lubbock, Texas |
|
UT Arlington |
2 |
Oklahoma |
3 |
Ballpark at Arlington; Arlington, Texas |
|
UNLV |
4 |
West Virginia |
3 |
Las Vegas, Nev. |
Ralph Garza pitched his way to his first win of the season by disposing of the Mavericks in the bottom half of the inning. For Garza, it was his eleventh appearance of the season which is the most in the conference. He pitched the final two frames to pick up the win.
The story from the mound though was Kindle Ladd, who came in to relieve starter Connor Buchmann in the fourth, and pitched five shutout innings of baseball. Facing a total of 16 batters, Ladd allowed just three hits while also fanning three batters throughout his five innings of work, putting together his best outing of the season.
The Sooners took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Mac James knocked in Sheldon Neuse, who had doubled previously, on an RBI single to center field. The RBI was James' 17th of the year which is the team-high by just a single run.
The Mavericks tied the game in the bottom of the fourth off a JM Twitchell sacrifice. Two innings later Niko Buentello would double to left field to score Neuse's second run of the game and put the Sooners back on top 2-1. It appeared to be a lock for a Sooner victory when closer Ralph Garza Jr. came in to pitch the ninth but he uncharacteristically gave up a run when Twitchell scored off a Darien McLemore double to right-center field and ultimately setting up Alspaugh's extra inning heroics.
In addition to his two runs scored, Neuse went 4-of-5 from the plate against UTA. He and Niko Buentello were the only two Sooners to produce a multi hit game with Buentello going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Oklahoma returns home this weekend to host Belmont in a three-game series beginning on Friday night.