NORMAN — Jack Mayfield’s three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted Oklahoma to a 10-8 victory over New Mexico Sunday in the 2013 finale of Kleberg Bank College Classic for both squads at Whataburger Field in Corpus Christi, Texas.
The victory was the Sooners’ ninth straight to start the season and allowed them to claim the 2013 Kleberg Bank College Classic with a 3-0 mark.
OU topped Iowa, 3-1, Friday before taking down host Texas A&M- Corpus Christi, 4-2, Saturday.
“I thought where we really improved over the weekend was our ability to run the bases and play situational baseball,” OU coach Sunny Golloway — who saw his team tally nine stolen bases on the weekend in Corpus Christi, said. “I was really impressed with the speed of some of our players on the base path. I thought that was the difference in the weekend. I know we’re going to be able to hit the ball out every now and then and show mental toughness but where we improved drasctically was running the bases.”
OU pounded out a season-high 14 hits Sunday. First baseman Matt Oberste went 3-for-4 with his third home run of the season, a three-run blast in the first inning. He has hit safely in all nine games this season. Freshman outfielder Craig Aikin, senior outfielder/infielder Max White, freshman infielder Kolbey Carpenter and junior infielder Hector Lorenzana joined Mayfield and Oberste in posting multi-hit efforts against the Lobos.
Freshman right-handed reliever Ralph Garza Jr. earned his first collegiate victory, striking out two over the final 21⁄3 innings. Left-hander Billy Waltrip, who made a spot start in place of freshman righty Corey Copping, fanned nine over five frames. OU’s pitching staff struck out a season-high 13.
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