Oklahoma Sooners Baseball Falls 3-1 To Cowboys In First Bedlam Game

The Sooners and Cowboys played the first of their five baseball games against each other this season with O-State coming out on top 3-1 in what became a duel between the two pitching staffs.

Oklahoma State jumped on the Sooners 2-0 in the top of the second with solo shot home runs, by Gage Green and Tim Arakawa, to interrupt what was otherwise a stellar starting performance by Robert Tasin. Making just his second start of the year, Tasin threw 4.1 innings and struck out seven of the 18 batters he faced.

Arakawa would strike again in the top of the sixth when his infield single, off the glove of pitcher Drew Krittenbrink, scored Dustin Williams to push OSU to a 3-1 lead.

Freshman Octavio Rodriguez was the first reliever out of the bullpen for the Sooners and put the first two batters he faced on base by way of a single and hit by pitch. Hughes had a short leash on him and quickly brought Drew Krittenbrink out of the pen.

Oklahoma got a run back in the third when Craig Aikin scored on a passed ball after working his way around the bases following a walk.

Cowboys starter Tyler Nurdin went five innings, allowing just one run off two hits while also striking out two sooner batters to earn his second win of the season and even his record at 2-2. He was replaced on the mound by freshman Blake Battenfield who entered in the top of the sixth and retired the first two batters before Hector Lorenzana reached on an error. The Sooners would leave him stranded though as Sheldon Neuse would strike out looking in the next at bat.

Oklahoma State then loaded the bases in the top of the 7^th without the ball ever leaving the infield. After getting Saulyer Saxon to ground out to lead off the inning, Krittenbrink walked Donnie Walton, gave up and infield single to Tanner Krietemeier, and then hit Conor Castello with a pitch. He'd bounce back to fan Zach Fish before giving up the mound to Jeffrey Curran.

Inheriting a bases-loaded situation, Curran caught Gage Green looking to end the inning and the OSU scoring threat. Oklahoma couldn't capitalize on it though as they would go down in order in the bottom half of the inning.

It was all blanks on the scoreboard for the Cowboys from that point on as Oklahoma's pitching staff would hold them scoreless through the final two innings. Unfortunately for the Sooners it would be all blanks from the third inning on as they were held to just a single run off three hits while suffering six strikeouts.

"Baseball in a game of failures," Oklahoma second baseman Hector Lorenzana said. "You strike out seven out of ten times and you're in the Hall of Fame. We've got to put this behind us and move on."

Putting a Bedlam loss behind you isn't always easy but there are a lot of positives to draw from. The Sooners' pitching staff struck out eleven Oklahoma State batters and the defense turned two double-plays in the game.

"We've got to be good in all aspects of the game," Oklahoma head coach Pete Hughes said. "We'll work hard a coaches and our players will work hard to improve and we'll get there."

The Sooners host Cal State Bakersfield in a three-game series this weekend. Oklahoma will travel to Stillwater in two weeks for the second Bedlam meeting before the two teams hook up in a three-game series for conference standings in May.