It's no April Fool's joke, Texas is in Norman, for their first road conference series. Both teams are under the .500 mark for the season. Texas is 11-14 and OU comes in at 12-13-1. The Horns are 2-1 in conference play, while the Sooners are 0-3. This is Sooner team is not as good as usual, you would hope Texas would take the series, to keep pace in the conference. Teams are starting to separate themselves in the Big 12, the Horns need this series to help them do that. If they don't, they will be chasing the .500 mark in both the overall record, but the conference record as well. Three teams in OSU, TCU, and Tech are beginning to look like the class of the conference, they are well over .500 on the season and they are in good shape, after two conference series played. I don't see more than four teams at best, getting into regionals from the Big 12. Unless the three teams mentioned nosedive, there will be a scramble for that fourth spot, if there is one to be had. Texas has to start winning right now, to stay in that regional hunt. That or depend another Big 12 Tournament run. Time to find the line-ups.
It's going to be a cold evening in Norman as the sun sets in Oklahoma, on this Friday opening night, of the series. OU will start right handed freshman Chis Andritsos, with a 3-2 record and an era of 3.08. He finishes his warmups and gets the sign, to deliver the first pitch of the game and the series. Longhorn left fielder Travis Jones, leads off, he steps into the right side of the batter's box. The wind blows from right to left and will help balls some to right field. A full count and a ground ball to second and the 4-3 is one down. Kody Clemens bats lefty, as the shorstop, with an out. A hanging curve is grounded into center for the first hit and runner of the game. The Horn third baseman is Tres Barrera, batting righty, with one on and one away. Barrera fouls off multiple pitches and then takes a curve for a called strike three, the K is two gone. Patrick Mathis bats lefty, the right fielder has a man on and two outs. He K's swinging, on a slow change, the second K will end the inning. Texas gets a single, but nothing more, OU to bat.
Right hander, Morgan Cooper will get the start for Texas with a 1-0 record and an era of 3.18. OU third baseman Cade Harris, leads off, batting left handed. A liner to right to Mathis is one away. Ben Hollas will bat lefty, as the Sooner left fielder. A full count and he walks, on an outside fast ball. One on and one down for the shortstop, Brandon Neuse, the Sooner's best hitter. A fly ball to deep right center and the wind will help take it over Rand's head, over the wall on a hop, a ground rule double, to put two on. Jack Flansburg, the first baseman, has two on and one down. A fly ball to right and with the wind it goes out over the right field wall, for a three run homer. OU leads 3-0. Righty hitter is Austin O'Brien, with an out. He blows a fast ball by him swinging, for two gone. The centerfielder is Steele Walker, batting lefty, with two outs. A foul pop on the left side and the wind brings it back to Barrera, that ends the frame. The three run shot puts OU ahead 3-0, after one.
Andritsos comes back out for the second, with the lead. Kacy Clemens leads off batting lefty, as the first baseman. He grounds a single by the first baseman, for a lead single. Lefty hitting DH is Bret Boswell, with a man on. A ground ball to first is a 3U out, as the throw to second hits Clemens in the back. Catcher Michael Cantu bats righty, with a man on second and one out. A fly ball to center is two gone. Zane Gurwitz bats righty, plays second base, with a man on second and two outs. A ground ball to second and the 4-3 will retire the side. A lead single and then three outs, so OU leads 3-0, bottom of the second.
Cooper back out for the OU second, for Texas, looking for a better inning. Leading off for OU is Alex Wise, the right fielder, batting right handed. A high shallow pop to right is one away. Second baseman is Kyle Mendenhall, batting righty, with an out. He swings on a curve in the dirt, the 2-3 will complete the K, for two down. Nine hole hitter is righty, Domenic Derenzo, the OU catcher. Another shallow pop to right will retire the side in order. Better inning for Cooper and OU leads 3-0, after two.
Andritsos is back again to the mound for the third. Ty Rand is leading off for Texas, batting righty, as the centerfielder. The nine hole hitter grounds to short, the 6-3 is one down. Top of the order is Jones, batting righty, with an out. He takes a curve, on the outside corner, the K is two gone. Kody Clemens bats lefty, with two outs. He lines a single to right, for a runner. Righty slugger is Barrera, with a runner on, two outs. He lines a drive to right, the wind has it over the right fielder's head, for a rbi double. The right fielder took a step in and then it went off the fence. OU leads 3-1. Mathis bats with a man on second, with two away. A high fly ball to right could tie the game. Slow roller to second and the 4-3 ends the inning. Texas gets a run and OU leads 3-1, bottom of three.
I get home and turn on the game - ou immediately gets a walk. Before I can open my first Shiner, they get the walk, GRD, and homer. Since I opened the Shiner, we shut them down and have scored a run now . Conclusions?
Cooper back for the OU third. Top of the order is Harris batting lefty. A single into right and a lead runner. One on for Hollas, batting lefty. A 3-0 count prompts a visit from Skip. He walks to put two on. Neuse bats with two on, from the right side. A ground ball to short goes 6-4-3, for a double play. Two outs and a man on third for Landsburg, batting lefty. His three run homer is the reason that OU leads. A fast ball on the outside corner is a called K, to retire the side. First two on, but Cooper gets out of it, OU leads 3-1, after three.
Andritsos continues on the the fourth, for the Sooners. Kacy Clemens leads off batting lefty. He singled his first trip. A liner to right center and a sliding catch is made by the right fielder, a nice play for one out. The DH is lefty hitting Boswell, with an out. A grounder to second is a quick 4-3 second out. Cantue bats righty, with two gone. A high pop on the bag at second is caught for the third out, to retire the side in order. Bottom of the fourth and OU leads 3-1.
Cooper back out for the Sooner half of the fourth. The righty hitting DH O'Brien, leads off. A high fly ball to right and what looks like an easy out, just keeps going, for a homer, the wind just took it out. OU leads 4-1. Walker bats lefty, with a run in. He K's looking, on the curve, one down. Righty hitting Wise bats, with an out. He K's swinging on the curve, for two gone. Mendenhall bats righty, with two down. A grounder up the middle gets through, for a single. The catcher bats righty, in Derenzo, with a man on, two down. A ball in the dirt, the runner moves up, on the wild pitch. A well hit ball to left and nothing will stop that one, it gets out and it was well struck, two run homer. OU leads 6-1. Top of the order is Harris, batting lefty, two outs. He K's swinging on the curve, to end the inning. The side goes down on K's, but two homer in between. OU leads 6-1, after four.
Andritsos will start his fifth inning of work, looking to qualify for the win. Gurwitz leads off batting righty, for the Horns. He pop up on the infield, for one away. Nine hole hitter is Rand, batting righty, with an out. A fly ball to right carries some, but not enough, two gone. Top of the order is Jones again, batting righty, two outs. A ground ball to second and the 4-3 means the side down in order again. Halfway through the opener and OU leads 6-1.
Cooper out again in the fifth for the Horns. Hollas leads off for the Sooners, batting lefty. Another curve and another K, this one swinging, one away. The slugger for OU is Neuse batting righty, one out. A grounder through the box, for a single. Flandsburg, batting lefty, with a man on and one away. A pop up is caught in shallow left, for the second man retired. The DH is O'Brien batting righty, with a man on and two outs. A full count and the runner will go and a low curve is a walk, two on. Out come Skip and he leaves him in, trying to save the pen. Walker bats lefty, with two on and two outs. A liner to left and Jones has it, to retire the side. Five played in Norman and OU leads 6-1.
Andritsos come back again for the sixth, he is just rolling along. Kody Clemens leads off batting lefty. He has two singles, in the game. This time a fly ball to deep left center is caught in front of the track, for one down. Barrera bats righty, with an out. A little liner to left center drops for a single, his second hit. This brings up Mathis, with a man on and one out. A fly ball to left and that is two retired. Another lefty hitter is Kacy Clemens, with one on and two retired. A grounder to second goes 4-6, to end the inning. Bottom of six and OU ahead 6-1.
SMH...OU sucks...no, I mean they really suck. One of the worst teams they have had in years....and they are kicking our butt.
Eric Dunbar comes into the game for the Horns, he is a sophomore right hander. Wise leads off batting righty, for the Sooners. A ground ball to short and the 6-3, is one gone. Righty hitting Mendenhall bats righty, with an out. He pops to shallow left and Clemens goes out and drops the ball for a two base E-6. Derenzo bats righty, with a man on and one down. A fast ball on the outside corner is a called K, for two gone. Top of the order again is Harris, batting lefty, still a man on second and two outs. A comebacker and the 1-3, will end the inning. Dunbar works around the error, so OU leads still 6-1, after six played.
Andritsos back one more time in the seventh, for OU. Leading off for Texas is the lefty DH, Boswell. He fishes for the low outside curve and the K is one gone. Cantu bats righty, with one away. A ground ball to third goes 5-3, for two outs. It brings up Gurwitz, batting righty, with two down. He swings at a pitch in the dirt and the 2-3 will complete the K, to retire the side in order once more. They stretch in Norman and enjoy the 6-1 lead by the Sooners.
Dunbar back for the Horns in the seventh, after getting four straight outs really, last inning, with the error. Leading off for OU is lefty hitting Hollas. A full count and a walk on an outside fast ball. One on for righty hitting Neuse. A comebacker and the 1-6-3 double play is the second hit into by Neuse, two gone. Lefty batting Flandsburg, hits with two down. After his first inning homer, OU hasn't looked back. A ground ball up the middle and they call it a hit, but it's an error, now they do call it an E-6, the second on Clemens. O'Brien bats righty, with one on and two outs. Another comeback will retire the side. After seven, OU still ahead 6-1.
Andritsos is again back out for the Sooners, as the eighth starts. Rand leads off batting righty, for Texas. A ground ball off the pitchers glove to second goes 1-4-3, for one away. Jones bats one more time, at the top of the order, with an out. He lines to the first baseman, for the second out. This brings Kody Clemens up, batting righty, with two down. A ground ball to first and the first baseman throws wide of the pitcher covering, for an E-3, the first OU error. Barrera will now bat righty, with a man on, two gone. The coach comes out and he makes the change. The OU freshman pitched well, and could well get a victory tonight.
The new Sooner on the mound is Keaton Hernandez, a senior righty, with an era of 3.81. Barrera will face him, with a man on and two gone. A wild pitch will send the runner to second. A fly ball to right and there is no carry to it, it ends the frame. Bottom of the eighth and OU maintains their 6-1 lead.
Dunbar back once more for the Sooner eighth, he has pitched well. Walker leads off batting lefty, for OU. A ground ball to second and the 4-3 is one away. Righty hitter is Wise, with an out. Another grounder to second and another 4-3 out is two down. Mendenhall bats righty, with two gone. A fly ball to right and it retires the side in order. Dunbar is the only bright spot for Texas so far, as OU leads 6-1, to the ninth.
Hernandez comes back out to try and close out the game for the Sooners. Hughes comes in to play third base, for OU. Texas leads off with Mathis, batting lefty. He is hitless tonight. He K's swinging at low breaker, for one down. Kacy Clemens bats lefty, with an out. A liner to right is the second single for him. Boswell bats lefty, as the DH, one on and one down. A high pop and the shortstop has it, for two gone. Cantu stands between OU and their first conference win of the season. The righty catcher has really struggled at the plate this year. He K's looking on a fast ball, that ends the game. OU takes the opener 6-1, back in a bit.
Well that was quick and painful, it only took about two and a half hours, for OU to win the opener. Really it was over, after the three run Sooner first. OU only got seven hits, but three left the yard and were responsible for all the Sooner runs, in two innings. Texas got five singles and a double. The two out double by Barrera, scored the Horns only run. Only three Longhorns got these hits, two each by the Clemens brothers and Barrera. They never really threatened to score again. Cooper gave up all the runs on the homers, then Dunbar came in and shut OU down. That's pretty much it, tomorrow looks like a must win, or you bury yourself and start needing a fairly long winning streak, to get back to .500, for the season.
Worse case scenario - Cooper is Chad Hollingsworth deja vu. Lost his velocity due to surgery. Certainly hope for the best.
Well Folks we are exactly at the midway point of the season (26 down, 26 left) and 4 games below .500. This team frustrates me to no end. However as much as I want to whine and moan about it, I'll wait until the rivalry series is decided. As long as we continue to win each series, that's enough to prevent my overly sour grapes. Though we will need a sweep at some point too. But walking into this series 3 games under .500 and playing a lackluster OU squad, this is not a series we can afford to lose. It will bury any momentum from the TCU series win along with keep a sizable distance from the .500 mark that needs to be reached soon. That being said, two games to go. This team will show us a lot in how they respond to these two straight losses. If they have any desires on claiming this turnaround in a weak conference, they better come out breathing fire the next two. Even losing one of the final two will have us at 12-16 at best. This inconsistent team doesn't need to be in a 4 games hole with over half the season gone. Time to rally and claim these next two and the Tuesday game.
Painful read, NB. Hoping our boys finish the series like the started the first two against the toads.
