Sooners Fall Short at Texas, 4-3

April 30, 2011

Texas 4, Oklahoma 3
Box Score

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
OU	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	4	0
UT	0	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	X	4	8	0

Pitching	IP	H	R	E	BB	SO
W - Green (4-3)	6.0	3	3	3	3	6
L - Smith (7-3)	2.1	5	4	4	2	1

Batting Leaders	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	HR
OU - Bushyhead	3	0	1	2	0	0
UT - Weiss	2	1	1	1	1	1

Notes
OU is 0-11 when trailing after eight innings ... The Sooners are 20-5 when scoring first this season, including a 9-4 mark in Big 12 play ... Caleb Bushyhead drove in two runs in the second off his fifth career triple (second of 2011) ... OU was 0-for-9 with two outs at the plate on Friday and converted on its first opportunity on Saturday with Bushyhead's triple ... Jordan John's previous long relief outing was three innings vs. William and Mary ... Erik Ross' career-high nine-game hitting streak ended on Saturday ... OU has lost 10 straight games to Texas dating back to the second game of the 2008 series in Norman ... The Sooners' last series win over the Longhorns was in 1998.

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AUSTIN, Texas -- The No. 10 Sooners held an early three-run lead but were unable to even the series with No. 4 Texas on Saturday, as the Longhorns wrapped up a series victory with a 4-3 win.

The loss dropped Oklahoma back to .500 in Big 12 play at 9-9 (30-13 overall), while Texas jumped to 33-10 and 15-5.

One day after failing to capitalize early in the game with a bases-loaded situation, the OU offense jumped on its first opportunity on Saturday. In the second, Ricky Eisenberg plated Tyler Ogle (walk) with a single to the gap in right center and two batters later, Caleb Bushyhead drove in two runs off a two-out triple.

However, that lead quickly diminished after the third inning and Texas would take a 4-3 advantage into the ninth despite being held to two hits over the final five frames.

In their final at-bat, the Sooners put Casey Johnson into scoring position after he walked to lead off the ninth and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Chris Ellison. The next batter, Cody Reine was unsuccessful in his pinch-hit with a strikeout and after Caleb Bushyhead was hit by a pitch, Evan Mistich drove a hard-hit ball to right field that nearly found the turf before being caught by Mark Payton.

“Once we got the lead, we have to pitch better and keep the lead,” said OU Head Coach Sunny Golloway. “I was proud of our approach and the way we got off to an early lead. It's disappointing but we have to wash this and come out and get a victory tomorrow.”

Texas started to make its move in the bottom of the second. Erich Weiss cut the lead down to one with his third homer of the year, a solo shot to left field. In their next at-bat, the Longhorns evened up the game at three with four straight singles off OU starter Burch Smith (7-3).

Freshman Jordan John relieved Smith after 2 1/3 innings, his shortest start of the season after winning each of his last five starts with at least five innings pitched. In the third, John allowed an additional run on a bloop double by Paul Montalbano, but worked out of the one-out jam that began with two runners on.

While John was effective in relief, recording his longest relief outing of the year at 5 2/3 innings, UT starter Cole Green (4-3) lasted six innings before being relieved by Hoby Milner in the top of the seventh.

Green recorded the win with three runs allowed off three hits and six strikeouts, and while Milner held OU's offense in check, Corey Knebel pitched the ninth and picked up his 14th save despite the Sooners' late threat.

The third and final game of the series is slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday and the game can be heard on the Sooner Sports Network, KREF 1400 AM with Chuck Kelly and Ross Hubbard. Sunday's game is also set for a national television broadcast on ESPNU with Carter Blackburn and Morgan Ensberg.

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