Oklahoma’s weekend on the baseball diamond didn’t get off to a great start but it sure had a great finish. For the fourth consecutive weekend the Sooners split the opening two games of a series to set up a Sunday rubber match. Unlike the last three weekends, OU came out on top in that pivotal final game.
Friday: Minnesota 8 – Oklahoma 1
Oklahoma was held to just one run, off five hits, to open the series. Backed by a three-run home run by third baseman Jack Wassel the Gophers posted four runs in the opening frame, three more in the fifth, and a final score in the eighth.
Saturday: Oklahoma 2 – Minnesota 1
Nathan Wiles picked up his sixth win on the season (6-2) after striking out six batters and allowing just three hits over 6.1 innings of work. First baseman Tyler Hardman drove in both runs for Oklahoma, drawing a bases-loaded walk in the third inning and driving an RBI double in the fifth inning.
Sunday: Oklahoma 5 – Minnesota 2
Brady Harlan hit his first collegiate home run to push the Sooners ahead in the fifth inning. His three-run blast put OU up 3-2 which was enough to allow Levi Prater to pick up his sixth win of the season after throwing 6.2 innings in which he struck out five batters and allowed two runs on five hits.
Heading North
Oklahoma heads North Tuesday night to play Wichita State and then on to Kansas State to return to conference play over the weekend.
The Wildcats are 5-7 in conference play, and 19-22 overall, giving the Sooners (6-6, 27-14) opportunity to gain some ground in conference play.