Oklahoma baseball takes two of three from Rice
By Chip Rouse
Oklahoma baseball split four games on the road last week, but came away with a series win over Rice.
Sophomore left-hander Levi Prater threw a three-hit shutout through eight innings and junior catcher Brady Lindsly slammed a three-run homer to lead the Sooners in a 6-0 win on Sunday over Rice in the rubber game of the three-game series. Lindsly’s fence-clearing blast came with two teammates aboard in the eighth inning to open up a five-run lead and put the game away.
Prater recorded a career-high nine strikeouts, including fanning the side in the seventh.
Senior third baseman Brylie Ware and designated hitter Cade Cavalli combined for five of the Sooners 11 hits in the game.
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Ware was also the star in Oklahoma’s 17-8 win over the Owls on Saturday, collecting four hits in six plate appearances and driving in five runs, including a solo home run to lead off a nine-run explosion in the eighth inning. The Sooners’ nine-run outburst in the eighth broke open a game that was deadlocked at eight going into the inning.
Nathan Wiles started Saturday’s game on the mound for the Sooners, going 3 1/3 innings and giving up five runs on seven hits. Aaron Brooks, the third of five OU pitchers picked up the win in relief.
The series opener on Friday was all Rice, as the Owls limited the Sooners to just three hits in an 8-1 Rice victory. Junior center fielder Brady Harlan had two of the three OU hits and drove in the lone Oklahoma run in the fifth inning. Cavalli started the game for the Sooners and took the loss, his first after two wins.
Earlier in the week, Dallas Baptist avenged a previous loss to the Sooners, taking a 7-2 victory in Dallas.
Going 2-2 last week, Oklahoma now stands at 13-3 for the season. It is the second time in the last three seasons that the Sooners have begun the season with a 13-3 mark.
The Sooners are back home at L. Dale Mitchell Park this week for a midweek game hosting UT-Arlington on Tuesday, followed by a three-game weekend series against Missouri State.