OU baseball dealt tough lessons in 9-5 loss to Texas A&M

OU learned a tough lesson in the small margins of a Southeastern Conference baseball game on Saturday at Kimrey Family Stadium. 

Texas A&M hit four home runs and took advantage of eight walks and an error to even the conference opening weekend series with a 9-5 win. 

The Sooners loaded the bases in the seventh but were only able to scratch across a run. The Aggies responded in the eighth with three runs, including Cade Sorrell’s first impact on the series with a two-run home run to left. 

Now the focus shifts to Sunday afternoon and a series finale rubber game. 

TOUGH LESSONS LEARNED 

When Brendan Brock blasted his team-leading sixth home run in the bottom of the first, it appeared as if Oklahoma would pick up right where it left off in the series opener. 

L.J. Mercurius began the game striking out the side in the opening frame. Not too different from how he had started the year through his first four starts in a Sooners uniform. But after one swing from Chris Hacopian in the third, A&M had tied the game 2-2. Hacopian plate appearance came as a result of a Jason Walk to open the inning. 

It was the first of many miscues on Saturday. The margins are thin in conference play. 

“You go out and hit a two-run homer and then we go out and make an error, give up a two-run homer. That’s kind of where it started,” said Oklahoma head coach Skip Johnson. “We lost the momentum in the fifth inning. They got a hit in a big moment and we didn’t get a hit in a big moment. I want those guys up in a big moment all day long. And then we didn’t throw strikes. So that’s going to happen when you don’t throw strikes.”

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES 

The big moments Johnson is referring to came in bunches. The momentum of the game could have very well swung either way. 

Texas A&M took advantage of those moments. Oklahoma did not. Unfortunately for Johnson and his Sooners, those big moments taken advantage of by A&M ended with the ball leaving the yard. 

Boston Kellner opened the Aggies fifth with a solo home run. Wesley Jordan followed a pair of free passes, unleashing a three-run bomb. 

A tie game had quickly spiraled into a four-run deficit.

“I thought he was really good. Then in the fifth inning there he got where he was trying to make every pitch perfect. That’s the lesson learned from that. I told him you can look at the scoreboard and give up that many runs but you can’t be perfect in this game. All you can do is make a pitch,” said Johnson of Mercurius’ afternoon. 

Reid Hensley opened the sixth for Oklahoma, walking a pair before escaping the inning with a fly out and a double play ball. 

In the bottom half of the inning, freshman outfielder Alec Blair hit his first collegiate home run, cutting the deficit in half with a two-run blast to right. 

Mason Bixby entered the game in the seventh, inheriting a bases loaded jam only to escape with another inning-ending double play ball. 

MISSED OPPORTUNITY IN THE 7TH

There was momentum in the Oklahoma dugout following Bixby’s escape. Another rally appeared on-deck. And that came to fruition after a pair of walks and a perfectly-executed Jason Walk bunt loaded the bases with no outs. Camden Johnson took the Sooners third free pass of the inning, cutting the A&M lead to a run, 6-5. 

And with the heart of the order due up, it felt as if Oklahoma was one big swing away from not just getting back in the game but – perhaps– taking the series with a late-inning rally. 

Brendan Brock grounded into a fielder’s choice. Trey Gambill took a called third strike. Deiten Lachance grounded a ball to third to end the inning. 

Those are the guys you want at the plate in that spot. Unfortunately for Johnson, they were unable to deliver. 

“They got the hit when we didn’t get the hit. That was the separator in the game,” said Johnson. 

AGGIES CLOSE IT IN THE EIGHTH

You knew he was bound to make an impact on the series at some point. But it wasn’t until the eighth when Aggie centerfielder Caden Sorrell did his damage, launching a two-run home run to left. This followed a Gavin Grahovac sac fly that brought in a run following two walks and a sac bunt that opened the inning. 

Too many walks cost Oklahoma on Saturday. They got away with it on Friday. Point blank period. Oklahoma’s pitching staff has walked 20 batters in the first two games of the series. 

“You got big arms. Guys with power arms. They’re going to strike a lot of guys out and they are going to walk a lot of guys. We kind of knew that going into it. Less experienced guys. We knew that going into it. It’s just part of the business that we are in. They competed well,” said Johnson. 

NEXT UP

Oklahoma (16-3, 1-1) hosts Texas A&M in the rubber game on Sunday. First pitch set for 2 p.m. with Cord Rager on the mound for the Sooners.