NORMAN, Ok. - Western Illinois
Baseball saw its three-game winning streak come to an end in the first game of
the Sooner Classic, dropping a 12-1 decision to host Oklahoma on Friday
afternoon. The Fighting Leathernecks dropped to 3-2 overall.
The 17th-ranked Sooners
scored a run in the first and second inning before plating three in the third
frame, however, senior Austin Brough worked his way out of that jam
thanks to a 5-4-3 inning-ending double play.
Western got its first base hit in
the fourth inning but starter Zach Neal was in control, giving up just the one
run on five hits in 5.2 innings of work, striking out eight Leathernecks.
In the sixth Western used one-out
singles by Andrew Hagins and Jason Summers to put runners at
first and second. Bryan Jordan followed with a RBI single to right
field, making it 6-1.
Brough ran into trouble in the
sixth when OU used a hit batter, single and error to load the bases. Brough hit
Garrett Buechele to bring home another run. Head coach Mike Villano made the
pitching change and brought in Carlos Pinedo.
Pinch-hitter Casey Johnson thought
he lined Pinedo's pitch into right field, however, second baseman Cole Waddell made a leaping grab then threw onto second base to catch the runner
off for the double play. Pinedo got a ground ball from Cameron Seitzer to
Waddell and end the threat.
In the seventh WIU threatened when
Anthony Kaskadden reached on an error then two batters later Jared Depenbrock singled to put runners at first and second. OU (9-1) used
consecutive strikeouts to get out of the inning.
The Sooners finished off the
scoring in the eighth plating five runs, four coming off Seitzer's grand slam.
"Our guys have to learn from the
mistakes we made today in all phases and work to get better," said Villano. "We
also need to learn that we have to come out and compete in all nine innings."
Six different Leathernecks recorded a
single. Brough (0-1) was charged for seven runs - six earned - on 12 hits. He
walked two and struck out two. Pinedo worked 2.1 innings of relief recording a
strikeout.
Oklahoma had five different
players with two hits, led by Buechele who scored two runs and drove in two.
Neal (1-0), the first of four OU pitchers, earned the win. The Sooners struck
out 15 Western Illinois batters in all.
Western returns to action on
Saturday, facing Stephen F. Austin in a day-night doubleheader. Game one is
scheduled for 11 a.m. then later at 7 p.m. Sunday's game against South Florida
has been moved up to a 10 a.m. start.
