Cowboys Pound Sooners 24-2 In Non-Conference Match

An inning that started with such promise ended in disaster of Titanic proportions. Oklahoma's first two batters reached base safely but a put out of the lead runner off a bunt and back-to-back strikeouts sent the Sooners back to the dugout with no runs. Then Oklahoma State went to the plate.

Senior Tim Arakawa recorded the first and last hits of the inning, with the latter being a two-run blast off the scoreboard, and the Cowboys were firmly in control of every aspect of the game. In all, OSU sent eleven batters to the plate with eight of them making their way around to home on six hits.

"I think we brought a lot of energy to the plate in that first inning," Arakawa said. He'd finish the night 3-for-4 from the plate with four RBI but his two hits in the first inning set the overall tone for the game. The Cowboys were going to be aggressive in swinging the bat. Oklahoma starter Jeffrey Curran didn't make it out of the first. He gave way to Adam Choplick after two outs and was responsible for six of the eight runs scored in the inning.

Hitting from the nine-hole, senior Josh Ake got OU on the board in the top of the second with a two-run rope shot hit over left field. The hit stopped the bleeding as Oklahoma was able to retire the OSU side in the second with no further damage being done on the scoreboard.

Oklahoma State went back at it in the third inning thought. A single sandwiched between two walks loaded the bases for the Pokes to start the inning. A fielder's choice by Donnie Walton and a single by Conor Costillo brought in two runs and then a stand up double off the left-center field wall scored two more to make it a 12-2 game.

Things went from bad to worse for the Sooners as Oklahoma State plated three more runs in the fourth, five in the fifth and four in the sixth to take a dominating 24-2 lead. Through six innings they pelted 18 hits for 21 RBI and 24 runs. It was the most runs that OSU has scored against an opponent since posting 26 against Alabama A&M in 2010. This is the kind of performance that Oklahoma would want to forget but may also stay with them for quite a while.

The loss is certainly a setback for Oklahoma who came into the game riding a five-game winning streak and fresh off a sweep of Kansas. The Sooners will remain on the road this weekend as they play the Texas Longhorns in Austin. Texas sits just behind the Sooners in fourth place in the conference standings.

"You don't want any game beat you twice," Oklahoma head coach Pete Hughes said as his team looks to a big conference series against the Longhorns. "This will motivate us, it'll galvanize us a little more. I'm using it as a teaching moment, believe me."

The lesson had better be learned quickly because Austin, Texas is coming quickly followed by a road trip to Morgantown the following weekend. A few more road performances like this one and Oklahoma's season will snowball out of control quicker than the first inning of this Bedlam game did.