9-6 Loss In Bedlam Opener Puts Oklahoma On A Four-Game Losing Streak

Bad memories. That's all that the Sooners had from their previous meeting with Oklahoma State this season. Less than a month ago, on a Tuesday night non-conference affair, the Cowboys rocked Oklahoma by a score of 24-2. It was one of those losses that you'd soon rather forget but instead it gets stuck in your head.

"Yeah, I think about it." Oklahoma shortstop Sheldon Neuse said when asked about that night.

Now as OU and OSU started their conference series at ONEOK Field, in Tulsa, on Friday night the Sooners were determined to make this one different. A three-run first, aided by RBI singles from Kolbey Carpenter, Nesue, and Robert Tasin, helped OU get off to a fast start but the Cowboys responded by plating two runs in the top of the second.

The game would remain deadlocked that way through the next three innings but the Cowboys were able to capitalize on Oklahoma's mistakes in the fifth. Back-to-Back 2-out walks ended Jake Elliott's night and then an RBI single for Conor Costello tied the game at 3-3. Another walk later the Cowboys would take their first lead of the night when Ryan Sluder singled to short and a throwing error by Neuse brought in two runs.

As Oklahoma's bats cooled off the Cowboys got hotter. Ryan Sluder led off the 7^th with a solo home run to plate the ninth run of the night for OSU. "Our confidence as a team is at an all-time high right now," Sluder would tell me after the game.

Oklahoma still had some fight left in them though. Taylor Alspaugh and Carpenter drew back-to-back walks to lead off the 8^th and both came home off a Neuse double to the left field corner to draw the Sooners to within a 9-5 deficit.

OU furiously tried to rally in the ninth when the bases loaded on three walks. A fielder's choice scored Kyle Mendenhall to reach the final score of 9-6 but the Sooners would ultimately drop their fourth consecutive game in a row and put themselves behind the eight ball as far as the Bedlam Series is concerned.

The series shifts to Oklahoma City for the final two games which will be played on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.