Oklahoma struggled from the plate early on but the Sooners were able to take advantage of some key Kansas State mistakes late and sneak out with a series sweep.
Backed by a solid defense performance, Sooners starter Nathan Wiles flustered the Wildcats through the first five innings by holding them to just three hits. The problem is that Oklahoma only recorded three hits through six innings so they shared in KSU’s frustrations.
M5 | Pitchers fielding their position. Wiles retires the side in order in the top of the fifth and gets to the bag at first to make a nice play to start the frame.
Brylie Ware to lead off the bottom half for OU. #Sooners 0, K-State 0 pic.twitter.com/mLJdog41Fp
— Oklahoma Baseball (@OU_Baseball) May 6, 2018
Wildcats starter Will Brennan struck out nine Oklahoma batters and allowed just four hits in 6.1 innings of work to force a pitcher’s duel through the first five innings. However, runs started coming across the home plate in the sixth to set up a comeback win for Oklahoma.
Kansas State broke the scoreless tie in the top of the sixth when a double to left center by Jordan Maxson scored Cameron Thompson. Kyle Barfield sent a sacrifice fly to center field, in the next at bat, to score Drew Mount and give KSU a 2-0 cushion.
It took one swing of the bat for Oklahoma freshman Tyler Hardman to erase the deficit and tie the game at 2-2. His double to left field scored Kyle Mendenhall and Brylie Ware, sending the game into the eighth at a deadlock.
E7 | Here's a look Tyler Hardman's game-tying RBI double.
Kyle Tyler on to pitch the eighth for the #Sooners. Tied at 2-2. pic.twitter.com/5k4tw05dSJ
— Oklahoma Baseball (@OU_Baseball) May 6, 2018
The Wildcats broke the tie once again in the top of the eighth when Barfield took a 1-1 pitch, off the arm of Kyle Tyler, over the right field wall to put Oklahoma back in a one-run hole.
A series of mistakes by Kansas State in the bottom of the eighth led to a one-hit rally for the Sooners though.
Oklahoma’s rally started with Steele Walker drawing a walk and was followed by Kyler Murray reaching on an error. Brady Lindsly laid down a bunt, for OU’s only hit of the inning, that resulted in Walker scoring on a throwing error and Murray making his way to third.
Ware approached the plate as Oklahoma’s fourth batter of the inning and brought Murray home for the go ahead run with a sacrifice fly to center field.
Austin Hansen picked up fourth save of the season by retiring the side in the top of the ninth to secure a 4-3 win and the series sweep of the Wildcats. Freshman Cade Cavalli (3-2) picked up the win by fanning two of the three batters he faced in one inning of relief pitching.
FINAL | Oklahoma 4, K-State 3#Sooners rally with two runs in the eighth to complete the comeback and sweep the Wildcats on Senior Day! pic.twitter.com/xWZvdtjjAD
— Oklahoma Baseball (@OU_Baseball) May 6, 2018
The Sooners improved to 31-18 on the year and 13-8 in Big 12 play.