OU Baseball: Oklahoma Drops Midweek at Oral Roberts

John E. Hoover | May 1, 2024

Skip Johnson / Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

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Oral Roberts Golden Eagles

By OU Media Relations

TULSA — No. 22 Oklahoma dropped a midweek contest to Oral Roberts, 3-1, Tuesday night in Tulsa.

A pitcher’s duel to start between Sooner starting LHP James Hitt and ORU starter RHP Joshua Caravalho led to three and a half scoreless innings to start the contest.

After Hitt surrendered just one hit through three, the Golden Eagles (17-26-1) broke through in the fourth with two runs on three hits. After consecutive singles to start the frame, an RBI single and sacrifice bunt put the first runs on the board.

The Sooners (26-17, 15-6 Big 12) went quietly again at the top of the fifth before ORU added one via RBI double in the home half to make it 3-0 after five.

Oklahoma pushed one run across at the top of the sixth. After consecutive singles from freshman Jason Walk and junior John Spikerman to start the inning, an RBI groundout from sophomore Easton Carmichael scored Walk for OU’s only run of the night.

A scoreless final three innings brought the final to 3-1, Oral Roberts. OU’s three hits tied its lowest total on the year with last Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Wichita State.

Hitt (L, 2-5) took the loss in an otherwise solid showing, going four innings and surrendering two runs on four hits with one walk and a pair of strikeouts. Grant Stevens (1.0 IP), Carter Campbell (1.2) and Dylan Crooks (1.1) saw action out of the pen with Stevens striking out one.

At the plate, Spikerman, Walk and senior Anthony Mackenzie recorded OU’s three hits on the night, while Carmichael brought in OU’s run. Senior Bryce Madron drew a pair of walks.

OU returns to Big 12 conference play this weekend, May 3-5, in Lubbock vs. Texas Tech (29-17, 12-12). The three-game series begins Friday with a 6:30 p.m. CT first pitch. The series can be seen via Big 12 NOW on ESPN+.

Published May 1, 2024

JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.