Oklahoma baseball: Sooners win two of three over weekend
By Chip Rouse
![Alabama catcher Sam Praytor (19) looks to the dugout for the pitch sign as the Crimson Tide hosted Wright State Friday, Feb. 26, 2021 to open a weekend series in Sewell-Thomas Stadium. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]Alabama Vs Wright State Baseball](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2F004d27a9e92932b620b0b4bad632a536e1860865ca5f9038105d912960797ee9.jpg "Alabama catcher Sam Praytor (19) looks to the dugout for the pitch sign as the Crimson Tide hosted Wright State Friday, Feb. 26, 2021 to open a weekend series in Sewell-Thomas Stadium. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]Alabama Vs Wright State Baseball")
Oklahoma baseball bookended a Saturday loss to Texas A&M with a pair of big offensive displays and wins over Auburn and Baylor to improve to 4-3 over the weekend.
The 23rd-ranked Sooners scored a 10th-inning walk-off 4-3 win over No. 21 Auburn on Friday in the Round Rock (Texas) Classic. Oklahoma first baseman Tyler Hardman lined a game-winning single to right field in the OU half of the tenth, one of his three RBI in the game.
The Sooners trailed 3-0 in the fifth, but scored single runs in the fifth, eighth and ninth to tie the game and one more in the 10th to win it. Jaret Godman pitched six strong innings in relief of starter Wyatt Olds, and closer Jason Ruffcorn picked up the win, setting down the side in the 10th.
Freshman catcher Jimmy Crooks had three hits in three plate appearances and Hardman was two for four, as the Sooners collected a dozen hits off of six Auburn pitchers.
Oklahoma gave up seven runs to Texas A&M in the opening inning on Saturday, and that proved to be more than enough for an 8-1 Aggies victory. Four A&M hits led to the seven first-inning runs. Dalton Fowler started the game for the Sooners but lasted just one inning. Four OU pitchers gave up just one run on four hits the rest of the way, but the damage was already done.
Second baseman Conor McKenna had two of the Sooners’ five hits against Texas A&M.
Facing a Big 12 opponent in Baylor in Sunday’s tournament finale, Oklahoma scored six runs in the first four innings on the way to a season-high nine runs and a 9-3 win. Freshman left-hander Jake Bennett got the start and went 5.0 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits, picking up his first win of the season.
Sophomore third baseman Brett Squires had three hits and drove in three for the Sooners, and Tanner Tredaway, Tyler Hardman and Kendall Pettis all had two hits apiece.
Next up for Sooner baseball is the Frisco Classic in Frisco, Texas, next weekend. Oklahoma will play single games against Arizona on Thursday and Friday, go against Missouri on Saturday and finish up with Dallas Baptist on Sunday.