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Edmond Native Parker Rigler had plenty of fan support in L. Dale Mitchell Park as he set to face the Sooners in Norman. The result was the junior's first collegiate complete game win as he held Oklahoma to just three runs off five hits and kept the Sooners off the board over the final six innings of the game.
The Wildcats, who haven't won a series in Norman since 1971, started off hot with three players reaching in the top of the first, all on singles, but a pickoff at third base limited the Wildcats to just a lone run scored. Senior Alex Wise quickly responded in the bottom of the first by leading off with a triple. Two batters later Jack Flansburg brought him home with a grounder to second and the game was tied heading into the second.
A throwing error allowed Austin O'Brien to take second base in the bottom of the next frame and Sooner pitcher Chris Andritsos brought him home to give OU a 2-1 lead. It wouldn't last though as Kansas State plated two in the top of the third to regain the lead 3-2.
Just as they did in the first, Oklahoma answered in the bottom half of the frame. Sheldon Neuse sent a two-out double into the left field corner and then came home off a Steele Walker single, sending the game into the fourth knotted up at 3-3.
The back-and-forth continued in the top of the fourth inning as a two-run blast, over the left field wall, by Quintin Crandall put the Wildcats up 5-3. Kansas State would end up loading the bases in the inning but a call to JB Olson from the bullpen allowed the Sooners to work their way out of the jam with no additional damage. For the first time in the game Oklahoma wouldn't have a response and went away quietly in their half of the inning.
Oklahoma left goose eggs on the board over the final six innings of the game and the Wildcats capitalized with six runs from the fourth through eighth innings to pull away by the final score of 9-3. Ten of Kansas State twelve hits were singles with the two extra base hits being home runs.
The Sooners entered the series in sixth place in the Big 12 (7-11) and Kansas State in ninth (5-10). Only nine teams will qualify for the conference tournament at the end of the month.