Times are thin for Oklahoma baseball. The slumping Sooners had dropped five of their last six conference games going into their series against Texas Tech on Friday night. While they got off to a solid offensive start, for the second Big Twelve game in a row, they watched their lead quickly slip away into a deficit.
Craig Aikin and Taylor Alspaugh both reached base to lead off the game, and they would both work their way around to score thanks to a passed ball and a sacrifice by Mac James, to put OU up 2-0 in the top of the first. However, the Red Raiders would respond quickly by adding four runs in the bottom half to carry a 4-2 lead heading into the second.
Texas Tech would score at least one run in each of the first five innings, to eventually build their 9-5 lead, and then held Oklahoma scoreless through the final five frames.
Tech Starter Ryan Moseley only lasted through the first inning and then gave way to Jonny Drozd who carried the team through the sixth. Oklahoma was able to get to him for nine hits and three runs, but each time the Sooners plated a base runner the Red Raiders would have an answer in the bottom half. Corey Taylor came in to close the game out for Texas Tech and held OU scoreless through his three innings pitched, giving up just one hit.
Oklahoma's hurlers didn't fare as well, with starter Adam Choplick giving up seven runs off seven hits in his three innings of work. He was relieved by Kindle Ladd who gave up the last two runs in his 1.1 innings on the mound. Robert Tasin and Corey Copping combined to hold Tech scoreless through the final 3.2 innings but by then the damage was too severe for OU to recover.
Aikin, Alspaugh, Sheldon Neuse, Kolbey Carpenter and Austin O'Brien were the only players to record a hit for Oklahoma and no one recorded more than one. Tech had five players record multiple hits with Devon Conley leading the way with a 3-for-5 night.
Oklahoma and Texas Tech will play the second game of their series on Saturday with a first pitch set for noon.