Norman — The only person madder at Cameron Seitzer than Oklahoma coach Sunny Golloway was Cameron Seitzer early Sunday afternoon. The Sooner first baseman didn’t come up with a hard hit grounder down the line in the first inning, helping Stephen F. Austin jump out to a two-run lead.
It led to a heart-to-heart talk with Golloway between innings. The clear message was Seitzer needed to get himself together or take a seat on the bench.
The sophomore chose the first option and belted two home runs, including a game-tying solo shot in the ninth inning to lead OU to a 5-4 victory over the Lumberjacks at L. Dale Mitchell Park.
“I knew I had to regroup because I felt like I let the team down because of the two runs off that ball,” Seitzer said. “Like coach said, I had to put it on my shoulders and make up for it. I’m glad he gave me the chance and kept me in the game and let me show him I was capable of that.”
The Sooners (11-1) needed that kind of performance out of someone Sunday. It was playing the final game of the Sooners Classic. OU had already beaten Western Illinois and South Florida twice in the event. But pitching had been what pulled OU through. With the exception of a 12-1 win over Western Illinois Friday, OU had been stagnant at the plate.
They were again Sunday.
Seitzer was the difference. He went 3-for-4 and drove in three of OU’s five runs. In the second inning, he tied the game with a two-run homer with Ross Hubbard aboard.
He was about the only one who wasn’t befuddled by Stephen F. Austin starting pitcher Justin Braddock. The right-hander held OU to six hits and three runs until Seitzer led off the bottom of the ninth inning. Seitzer sent Braddock’s first pitch over the right-field wall to tie the game.
OU grabbed the win six batters later when Caleb Bushyhead scored on an error by Stephen F. Austin shortstop Tanner Hines.
It was the kind of victory the Sooners are getting a reputation for early in the season. Four of their last five wins have been by one run.
The bullpen made Sunday’s possible.
Sooner starting pitcher Ryan Gibson struggled. He allowed all four runs and lasted just 21⁄3 innings. Jason Chowning and Jeremy Erben put out the fire. The tandem combined to allow just two hits over the final 61⁄3 innings. Erben, who entered in the eighth inning picked up the win and improved to 5-0.
Jason West, who relieved Braddock in the ninth inning, took the loss.
Might have been different if Golloway had stayed quiet in the first inning, or just taken Seitzer out of the game.
“I challenged him to see if he was going to be a leader,” Golloway said. “… Are you going to lead or are going to get in the back of the bus? I need to know right now. He didn’t answer verbally. But I guess he wants to sit in the front of the bus.”
John Shinn 366-3536 jshinn@normantranscript.com
