After Kansas baseball’s 8-2 victory over OU on Friday in Norman, Oklahoma, the Sooners struck back on Saturday, tying the series up with an 11-6 victory in Game 2.
Sophomore outfielder John Spikerman tallied two home runs and five RBIs for the Sooners in Saturday’s game, which featured explosive offense on both sides. The two teams scored 17 combined runs and hit five homers between them.
Oklahoma got the scoring started in the second inning with a one-run single to right-center field from fifth-year utility Diego Muniz. Right after that, redshirt junior outfielder Sebastian Orduno smacked a two-run homer to right field, pushing OU’s lead to 3-0.
And in the third inning, the Sooners didn’t slow down.
KU junior right hander Sam Ireland walked two straight batters, which put men on first and second with one out. Then, redshirt junior Kendall Pettis brought a runner home for OU with a single, and Spikerman cleared the bases with his first home run of the day, a one-out three-run long ball over the right field wall. With the Sooners now up 7-0, Ireland was relieved by redshirt junior right hander Hunter Cranton.
In the top of the fourth inning, it was the Jayhawks’ turn to make big moves on offense. Redshirt sophomore outfielder Mike Koszewski knocked a two-run single to right field, cutting KU’s deficit to five. And sophomore outfielder Chase Jans hammered a three-run homer to right-center field in the very next at-bat, making the score 7-5 OU.
Things quieted down in the scoreless fifth and sixth innings, but Oklahoma tacked on three insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh. Pettis knocked in a run with a long out down the left-field line, and Spikerman smashed his second home run of the day in the next at-bat to extend the Sooners’ lead to 10-5.
In the eighth, Jans helped keep the Jayhawks within striking distance with a fly to center field that scored redshirt junior infielder Collier Cranford and brought the score to 10-6. However, OU freshman catcher Easton Carmichael mashed a solo shot to left field in the bottom of the eighth and pushed the Sooners’ lead back to five runs for the final score of 11-6.
Things looked much better for Kansas in Friday’s game, which took place after a six-hour rain delay.
Graduate right-hander Collin Baumgartner was dealing for Kansas on Friday afternoon, throwing a dominant seven innings against the Sooners. He earned the win by allowing just five hits and two earned runs and matching his season-high nine strikeouts.
KU wasted little time getting on the scoreboard on Friday. In the top of the second inning, Cranford started the Jayhawks’ scoring after walking with the bases loaded.
Soon after, senior catcher Cole Elvis added another run in the third inning to put Kansas up 2-0. Oklahoma responded in the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo shot out to right field from junior outfielder Bryce Madron, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
But in the fifth inning, Kansas broke the game open. Oklahoma right-hander Braxton Douthit loaded the bases for the Jayhawks, and a wild pitch gave KU a free run to push the score to 3-1. Junior outfielder Janson Reeder came to the plate with runners on third and second before shooting a line drive into right field for a single. Reeder’s single scored freshman infielder Kodey Shojinaga and Elvis, putting the score at 5-1 Kansas.
In the sixth inning, Jans knocked in a double to score another run. And freshman outfielder Jackson Kline tacked on a two-run single in the seventh to extend Kansas’ lead to 8-1. The Sooners put up one last run in the bottom of the seventh inning, but it wasn’t nearly enough.
After Saturday’s game, the Sooners are 23-20 for the season (8-9 Big 12), and Kansas sits at 21-22 (6-11 Big 12). Game 3 is at 2 p.m. Sunday.
