Oklahoma baseball rewind: Sooners fall twice in three games to Baylor
By Chip Rouse
![Bryce Madron hits in the sixth inning to bring in a tying run as the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) baseball team plays Rider at L. Dale Mitchell Park on Feb. 24, 2023 in Norman, Okla. [Steve Sisney/For The Oklahoman]Ou Practice](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2F60d92c73bc7479a7507d3e51502832aac8082d8b3b7ffa26d68c00621dc7b4d9.jpg "Bryce Madron hits in the sixth inning to bring in a tying run as the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) baseball team plays Rider at L. Dale Mitchell Park on Feb. 24, 2023 in Norman, Okla. [Steve Sisney/For The Oklahoman]Ou Practice")
Four Sooner players had at least two hits, but the Oklahoma baseball team couldn’t capitalize with runners in scoring position in a 5-3 loss to Baylor in the series finale on Saturday.
Baylor, on the other hand, pushed across five runs on nine hits and left just seven runners stranded in winning the rubber game in the series and taking the series from the Sooners two games to one.
The Bears won game one in the series, coming from four runs down in the middle innings and riding three Baylor home runs in the last three frames to a10-6 victory on Thursday night. The Sooners (17-16, 3-6) rebounded on Friday for a 6-3 win and three OU pitchers combined to hold Baylor to just four hits.
Freshman left-fielder Rocco Garza-Gongora had three hits on Saturday and Bryce Madron, Easton Carmichael and Kendall Pettis each collected a couple of hits, but the Sooners were only able to put up three runs against five Baylor pitchers. Carmichael and McKenzie had solo home runs in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively, to cut the Baylor lead to 5-3, but it was too little, too late for the visiting Sooners.
Braden Carmichael came on in the third inning in relief of OU starter Will Carsten with two on and no outs and Baylor leading 3-1 and pitched 5.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts, but the Sooners weren’t able to make up the five runs charged to Carsten.
Sophomore left-hander James Hitt, a transfer from Texas Tech, was the winning pitcher in the Oklahoma victory in the middle game of the series. Hitt started Friday’s game and went 5.2 innings, allowing just one run on two hits, striking out three Baylor hitters and walking two. Kale Davis, in an unusual relief role, and Aaron Weber finished up over the final three innings, with Weber earning his sixth save of the season.
The Sooners were able win the game on Friday despite committing four errors. They also were charged with three errors in the 5-3 loss on Saturday, giving them seven for the series.
Baylor (12-20, 4-8) moved out of the Big 12 cellar with the series win, jumping ahead of the Sooners, who dropped into last place with a 3-6 conference record.
OU return home for four games this week at L. Dale Mitchell Park. The Sooners host Wichita State on Tuesday for a third time this season, looking for their first win this season over the Shockers. Texas Tech comes to town for a three-game weekend series.
,