The magic was back for Oklahoma in Las Vegas on Thursday night and the Sooners needed every ounce of it in their come from behind win over BYU. In his worst start of the season, Jacob Elliott was rocked for six runs in 4.2 innings. Fortunately he was relieved by Robert Tasin and Jacob Evans who kept the Cougars off the board, and hitless, the rest of the way. Evans picked up the win by striking out five BYU batters over the final two innings of the game.
For Cougars starter Kolton Mahoney it was feast or famine. He kept Oklahoma's batters at bay through the first half of the game and then gave up runs in chunks. After a four-run top half of the fifth inning by the Cougars, OU struck for two in the bottom half and then exploded for three more in the fifth to tie it up and bounce Mahoney from from the game.
The decisive run came in the bottom of the eighth inning when Alex Wise crossed home plate on a Craig Aikin sacrifice to left field. Wise, playing with a broken hand, entered the game as a pinch runner for Chris Shaw who led off the inning with a double. Wise went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Josh Ake and then became the unsung hero ninety feet later when Aikin pushed him across to complete the rally and a 7-6 Sooner win.
Taylor Alspaugh was huge from the plate for Oklahoma in the game. The senior was 3-of-5 from the plate with three RBI and two runs scored. Aikin and Anthony Hermelyn were the only other Sooners to record multiple hits with two each. BYU shortstop Hayden Nielson was big for the Cougars by going 3-of-4 from the plate with an RBI and 2 runs scored.
Oklahoma's win continues a streak of four consecutive wins that goes back to last weekend's Arizona appearance in the Big 12/Pac 12 Challenge.
The Sooners and BYU will play two on Friday with Alec Hansen and Jeffrey Curran pulling starts for OU.
Notables
* The Sooners used their tenth lineup in eleven games.
* Oklahoma pitchers have struck out ten or more batters in each of the last five games.
* OU Baseball is 3-0 against BYU in Las Vegas and 6-1 overall against the Cougars.