© SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY
OU Baseball: Oklahoma Pounds Texas Tech in Opener
Left hander Braden Davis was great again and the Sooners got 12 hits to support his cause as OU maintained its grip on first place in the Big 12 standings.
By OU Media Relations
LUBBOCK, TX — No. 22 Oklahoma started its three-game road series at Texas Tech with a 8-0 win in Lubbock.
OU left-hander Braden Davis was lights out in the series opener, throwing seven scoreless innings, surrendering just two hits with two walks to go with eight strikeouts.
Senior Will Carsten entered in relief and completed OU’s fourth shutout of the season, hurling two scoreless in the eighth and ninth with one strikeout.
The shutout marked the Sooners’ (27-17, 16-6) fourth of the season, the most since throwing five in 2019. Additionally, it was the first time Tech has been shut out in 2024 and the first time OU has blanked the Red Raiders since 2013.
OU maintained its grip on first place atop the Big 12 standings, one game ahead of West Virginia and two up on Texas and Oklahoma State. OU also clinched a spot in the Big 12 Tournament.
On a windy night in Lubbock, the OU offense manufactured runs without the long ball, still registering three extra-base hits and 12 hits overall.
After a scoreless first, the Sooners jumped on top 2-0 at the top of the second, courtesy of junior catcher Scott Mudler. With two on and two outs, Mudler dropped a two-run double into right center.
Davis continued to pitch a gem, working two more scoreless innings in the third and fourth before the Sooner offense gave him more run support at the top of the fifth.
The Sooners pushed across four runs on three hits and three Red Raider errors in the fifth. The flurry started with Mudler’s second double of the night. After the two-bag knock, freshman Jaxon Willits reached on an error before junior John Spikerman chopped a ball into shallow right field to score one. The next at-bat, senior Bryce Madron reached on an error as Willits and Spikerman raced home. Two batters later, an RBI single from senior Michael Snyder made it 6-0, Sooners.
Spikerman added to the lead again in the sixth with an RBI single to left field after senior Kendall Pettis drew a walk and stole second. An inning later, Nicklaus ripped a run-scoring triple to right center to score junior Anthony Mackenzie who got on via walk.
Davis (6-3) put the Red Raiders (30-18, 12-13) down in order in the bottom of the seventh before exiting with a final line of: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K. In his last four starts, his ERA is 1.44. It marked Davis’ fourth straight Friday night victory, moving him to 5-1 in Big 12 play.
At the plate, Spikerman and Nicklaus paced OU with 3-for-4 and 3-for-5 nights, respectively, with Spikerman and Mudler bringing in a pair.
The teams meet for Game 2 at 1 p.m. Saturday, a time change from the originally scheduled 2 p.m. start due to forecasted weather in the Lubbock area.
