OU Baseball: Oklahoma Falls to Cowboys in Final Big 12 Bedlam Series

The Sooners forged an early lead, but more shaky pitching from the bullpen opened the door for the Cowboys to take the series.

Oklahoma's Jason Walk / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

STILLWATER, Okla. – Oklahoma fell 9-5 Sunday in the series finale to Oklahoma State. 

After the Sooners (17-14, 8-4 Big 12) led through the first six and a half innings, the Cowboys (21-11, 7-5) jumped in front with a six-run seventh inning to claim the Bedlam series. 

The Sooner offense did their part on the weekend, hitting a combined 12 home runs. Sunday, freshman Jason Walk blasted his second collegiate homer and senior Bryce Madron hit his sixth of the season. 

At the bottom of the second, OSU struck first via a Sooner passed ball that allowed the runner from third to race home. The Sooners answered in the top of the third on Madron’s blast down the right line before OSU punched back with a solo shot of their own from Carson Benge. 

Moving to the fifth, the Sooners plated three runs on two hits. Walk started the scoring with a two-run rocket to right field before Nicklaus doubled in Madron on a knock to left center. 

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OSU answered again in the bottom half of the fifth with an RBI single to narrow the margin to one run at 4-3, OU, through five. 

At the top of the seventh, an RBI double from Michael Snyder pushed the OU lead to a pair. It was Snyder’s team-leading 37th run batted in on the year. 

The Cowboys would take advantage of the OU arms out of the bullpen in the seventh, scoring six runs on four hits including a three-run home run from designated hitter Donovan LaSalle. 

The 9-5 score through seven innings would hold as the final as OU went down in order in the eighth and left one aboard in the ninth.

At the plate, Walk led OU with his third multi-hit game of his young career, going 2-for-5 with a home run and 2 RBI. 

On the mound, senior James Hitt (2-4) took the loss, surrendering four runs on three hits and a walk in the seventh inning. OU starting LHP Grant Stevens went the first four innings, scattering five hits with three runs, only two being earned, four walks and five strikeouts. In addition to Hitt, the Sooners used four pitchers out of the pen with junior Brendan Girton and sophomore Malachi Witherspoon each fanning a pair.

Up next, Oklahoma returns to its home field for four games starting with a midweek matchup vs. UT Arlington Tuesday night at L. Dale Mitchell Park. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. CT. 

In a tie for first in the Big 12 with West Virginia, OU returns to conference play next weekend as the team hosts Kansas State, April 12-14.