Oklahoma Baseball: Sooners Decimate Kansas in Series Opener

Sooners ace Jake Bennett did the job tossing six good innings allowing just one earned run and striking out seven.

A very good way to return to conference action.

After a five-game stretch away from the Big 12, Oklahoma got back to league play on Friday night opening up a three-game weekend set with Kansas.

The Sooners would get the series off on the right foot hammering the Jayhawks 15-2 at Hoglund Ballpark in Lawrence, KS.

Getting the Game 1 starting nod was left-hander Jake Bennett, who would turn in a very quality outing against KU.

Bennett worked six rock solid innings allowing just two runs (one unearned) and five hits while striking out seven Kansas hitters.

Strikeout No. 7️⃣ by Jake to end the sixth.@JakeBennett1202
💻 https://t.co/TtHEWAJuvJ pic.twitter.com/vUtshQZQmx

— Oklahoma Baseball (@OU_Baseball) April 23, 2022

Oklahoma got the scoring started in the third with the young Max McGwire ripping a ball over the left field fence for his second home run of the year.

𝗟𝗶𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝗰 ‼

𝘽𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙 his second of the year.

💻 https://t.co/TtHEWAJuvJ pic.twitter.com/xW5WZhxbsl

— Oklahoma Baseball (@OU_Baseball) April 22, 2022

The Sooners then extended their lead the following frame by striking for three runs in the fourth thanks to costly defensive miscues by the Jayhawks.

After a Jimmy Crooks sacrifice fly scored a run, Diego Muniz and Cade Horton would both score runs that would go in as unearned thanks to a defensive error.

The Jayhawks would seemingly make it a game in the fifth by scoring two runs to slice the OU lead in half at 4-2, but the contest wouldn’t remain close for long.

The Sooners went for three runs right back in the sixth with RBIs from Crooks, McGwire and Trent Brown to hold a commanding 7-2 lead heading into the late innings.

The seemingly always-hot Blake Robertson got in on the fun in the seventh, connecting on an RBI single to extend the advantage to 8-2.

The Oklahoma offense wasn't done there, as the OU bats plated four more runs in the eighth on an RBI single from Peyton Graham and a two-run double from Robertson - who later scored on a wild pitch. 

Two-run double and a 4️⃣ hit night for @Robertsonblake3.

OU 11, KU 2 pic.twitter.com/k7EIRcES5u

— Oklahoma Baseball (@OU_Baseball) April 23, 2022

Graham and Robertson still weren't finished as they continued the onslaught in the ninth with Graham ripping a two-run triple followed by Robertson knocking him in to balloon the Oklahoma lead all the way out to 15-2. 

Two-run triple by Graham. 3️⃣ hits and 3️⃣ RBIs tonight for PG.@PeytonGraham6
💻 https://t.co/TtHEWAJuvJ pic.twitter.com/qhjbAZeIOc

— Oklahoma Baseball (@OU_Baseball) April 23, 2022

𝗕-𝗥𝗼𝗯 is 𝙪𝙣𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚

Blake has 5️⃣ hits, 2️⃣ doubles and 4️⃣ RBIs tonight‼@Robertsonblake3
💻 https://t.co/TtHEWAJuvJ pic.twitter.com/4HxgDttcLm

— Oklahoma Baseball (@OU_Baseball) April 23, 2022

Jaret Godman then escaped a bases loaded jam in the ninth to put the finishing touches on the blowout win. 

The victory moves Oklahoma to ten games over .500 on the year at 23-13 and back to even in Big 12 play at 5-5.

The middle game of the series will take place at noon Saturday in Lawrence after being moved up from the previously scheduled 2 p.m. due to impending inclement weather in the area.