It may have been dollar hot dog night in the concession stands but it seemed to be free base night on the field as Oklahoma’s hurlers issued eight walks which turned an eighteen strikeout performance into a 4-2 loss. Wichita State scored three of their four runs off of free passes and the Sooners just couldn’t muster enough offense to prevent their twelve-game winning streak from coming to an end.
Behind a nine strikeout performance from sophomore hurler Dylan Grove, Oklahoma cruised through the first few frames of the game. Grove issued four walks, and gave up four hits, but was able to work his way out of a couple of jams to keep Wichita State off the board through three innings.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third when Steele Walker scored off a single, by Austin O’Brien, through the left side.
The Shockers finally cracked the code and touched Grove for a single run in both the fourth and fifth innings. WSU increased their lead to 4-1 in the top of the sixth when Jordan Boyer and Travis Young scored on a controversial play in which a clear tag at first base, that should have been the third out, was ruled safe.
OU got a run back in the bottom of the seventh when Renae Martinez scored on a wild pitch but, despite threatening in the eighth and ninth, that would be it on a night when the Sooners managed just five hits, four of which came through the first four innings.
Up next for the Sooners is a three-game series against Buffalo that begins on Thursday evening.