• Sooners break out of rut with non-conference win
Oklahoma has been stuck in a rut for the last six weeks. One of the reasons was the routine. Weather-related issues turned the Sooners into a weekend team. Only three of their last 23 games were outside of the grind of the Big 12.
No confidence-building midweek wins. No games between series to work out kinks.
That’s why adding Stephen F. Austin to the schedule last week seemed like a god send.
Allowing OU to honor Aaron Ivey, Chris Henry, Joseph Hughes, Matt Lovelady, Joseph Newman, Joel Pedretti, Jimmy Rollins and Cory Williamson in Senior Night festivities was just one of the perks.
The other was a return to normalcy.
“At the beginning of the season, when we were playing a lot, it got us into a rhythm going into the weekend,” OU shortstop Aaron Reza said.
Whether or not Monday night’s 10-6 victory over the Lumberjacks reverses the Sooners’ fortunes remains to be seen. But they did get in a rhythm.
Reza went 3-for-3 and was one of five Sooners to collect at least five hits. Ivey went 3-for-5. Joe Dunigan and Aaron Baker both went 2-for-5 and Jackson Williams went 2-for-4.
In all, OU banged out 14 hits off five Stephen F. Austin (28-25) pitchers.
Winning was an important issue as well.
OU dropped two of three to Missouri over the weekend and was playing Monday night with the stain of Sunday’s 10-8 loss still present.
At least that was gone after OU erupted for three runs in the sixth inning and added three more in the seventh and eighth.
“That’s what’s important,” OU coach Sunny Golloway said. “Getting clutch hitting is something we’ve been talking about all year and losing midweek games can hurt that, because you don’t get in rhythm.
“Guys felt good about their trips to the plate today.”
Andrew Doyle (1-0) picked up the victory in relief. He was one of three pitchers to come out of the bullpen. Brad Burns started, but left after giving up four runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings.
Doyle entered the sixth held the Lumberjacks scores until turning the ball over to Garrett Richards in the ninth inning.
Heath Konesheck (0-4) took the loss. He gave up all three runs in the sixth inning in relief of Jacob Leonhardt.
Two of the runs were tough to stomach. Williams scored on a balk and Reza scored on a passed ball.
Reza’s RBI double in the seventh inning lifted the lead to 8-5. Dunigan added an RBI double and Baker followed it up with a triple to seal the game in the eighth.
The victory lifted the Sooners to 30-22, but did nothing to help their conference fortunes. They’ll have to wait until Friday when Texas Tech comes to L. Dale Mitchell Park for the season’s final regular-season series to do something about it.
“We have to play the best baseball we’ve played in a long time at the end of the season,” Ivey said. “That’s basically what it comes down to.”
At least after Monday night’s victory the confidence that comes with winning was back.
OU Sports
Sooners roll
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