Oklahoma Baseball: Sooners Lose Big to Tennessee

The Sooners' pitching struggled and the bats were once again silent as OU goes winless on the weekend in Houston.

It has not been a pretty weekend in Houston for Oklahoma.

Entering the third day of the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic, the Sooners were in desperate search of a weekend-salvaging win against No. 16 Tennessee.

But, instead, the OU bats were silenced by the Volunteers’ pitching all game long with Tennessee cruising to the 8-0 win.

Getting the start for the Sooners was left-hander Chazz Martinez, who entered Sunday fresh off of a 14-strikeout performance last Sunday against Northwestern State.

But, against his stiffest test of the young season, Martinez was unable to sustain his early-season excellence, getting knocked out in the fourth inning after allowing five runs and five hits with four walks.

Volunteers right fielder Jordan Beck got the scoring started early with a solo home run in the first to put Tennessee quickly ahead 1-0.

In the third, with the Volunteers already leading 3-0, designated hitter Christian Moore would connect on an inside-the-park homer to plate two more and knock Martinez out of the game.

Tennessee’s third home run of the day would come in the eighth when the pinch-hitting Blake Burke got a hold of one to left field to extend the lead to 8-0.

OU threatened to break onto the scoreboard in the ninth with a runner on third base and no outs after a Tanner Tredaway triple, but failed to bring him in - which served as somewhat of a microcosm for the entire weekend. 

The loss drops the Sooners back down to .500 on the season at 5-5 and leaves them looking for answers after a winless stay at Minute Maid Park.

Perhaps a good thing after three losses in successive days, Oklahoma will have the chance to rebound quickly after a day off with the Sooners returning to action against Dallas Baptist on Tuesday night at L. Dale Mitchell Park in Norman.