Oklahoma Baseball: Sooners Beat Texas Tech, Advance to Big 12 Tournament Semi's
One step closer.
After knocking off West Virginia to open the Big 12 tournament on Wednesday, Oklahoma continued action on Thursday battling Texas Tech with a spot in the semifinals on the line.
For the fourth time this season in their five meetings, it was the crimson and cream coming out on top with the No. 3-seeded Sooners beating the No. 2-seeded Red Raiders 6-3 on Thursday night at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX.
Getting the ball was Oklahoma ace Jake Bennett, who delivered one of his best outings of the season in arguably the Sooners’ biggest game to date.
The big left-hander was simply sensation, silencing the Red Raiders' bats all night long allowing just one run and two hits with a career-high 12 strikeouts in 7.2 innings of work.
Just as they did a night ago, the Sooners would get the scoring started in the second inning with a big time swing.
Freshman second baseman Jackson Nicklaus, who has been one of the major breakout stars this season for OU, ripped a three-run home run to right field to put Oklahoma ahead 3-0.
Texas Tech would get one of those runs back an inning later in the third, with Dillon Carter bringing Hudson White in to score on a sacrifice fly - slicing the deficit to 3-1.
The score remained there all the way into the seventh when the Sooners would put up another three-run inning to push out their lead.
With the bases loaded and one out, Oklahoma star shortstop Peyton Graham ripped a single the opposite way to plate two runs and double OU's advantage.
A throwing error then allowed John Spikerman to cross home plate and make it a 6-1 ballgame in favor of the Sooners.
After Bennett exited in the eighth, right-hander Trevin Michael entered to record the final four outs and seal the OU victory - albeit with a little late-inning drama.
Red Raiders shortstop Kurt Wilson connected on a two-run home run to move Tech within three runs, but that would be all as the rally came up short.
The win moves Oklahoma to 35-20 on the year and now puts them firmly in the driver’s seat to return to the Big 12 Championship Game needing just one more win with two tries to get it.
The Sooners will get Friday off, returning to action on Saturday at 12:30 against Friday’s Texas Tech/Kansas State loser.
If OU wins, they will advance to Sunday’s title game. An OU loss would mean the two teams would play again on Saturday, with the winner moving on and the loser being eliminated.