Oklahoma Falls in Sleepy Midweek Performance in First True Road Game of the Year

The first true road game for the Oklahoma Sooners this season yeilded few, if any, bright spots.

If you like quick innings, Tuesday's midweek match between No. 8 Oklahoma and the Southeastern Louisiana Lions was the game to tune in for. Oklahoma (17-3) lost 3-0 to SE Louisiana (12-9) in a game where OU struggled to do much of anything right.

What momentum the Sooners could find was snuffed out either by cold bats or timely Lions' responses.

It took the home team three innings to register a hit against Sooner starter Michael Catalano (3 strikeouts, 3 hits, 1 run, 7.30 ERA). OU wasn't too far behind, notching their first hit in the fourth. Regardless, it was the Lions who got the best of the visitors.

Brenden Brock earned first base off a dropped third strike catch and ensuing wild throw. That would be one of the few times the Sooners got on base in the first hour of the game.

Oklahoma Sooners, Brendan Brock — Oklahoma catcher/outfielder Brendan Brock steps in the batter's box against Gonzaga. | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

In fact, other than two walks and Trey Gambill taking a pitch to the back, OU didn't get on base via a hit until Jaxon Willits and Deiten Lachance had back-to-back hits to lead off the fourth. Oklahoma came up empty shortly after.

Skip Johnson made the change at the mound for the lefty Trent Collier. Two pitches later, SE Louisiana's Peyton Woods hit an infield single with Connor Cuff running from second base. Collier forgot to cover first base resulting in a throw to nowhere and Cuff to score the game's opening run.

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After a quick three-up-three-down sequence for OU at the bottom of the fifth, Lions catcher Blaise Priester hit a solo shot out of Alumni Field, extending the SE Louisiana lead at 2-0.

Nothing OU tried seem to work. Even Jason Walk, whose great speed helped him steal home last week in the win over UT Arlington, got caught too deep and unable to return to first after Gambill flied out.

Mason Bixby came on in the sixth to relieve Collier and was immediately drilled by Cuff on his first pitch. He was able to continue pitching, but the bad luck seemed to be indicative of Oklahoma's disappointing outing.

OU's situation could have got much worse afterwards. With two on in scoring position and one out, Bixby and the Sooner field navigated the rest of the inning, retiring the next two Lions' batters.

Oklahoma Sooners, Mason Bixby — Oklahoma pitcher Mason Bixby | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

Oklahoma found life in the seventh inning after Nolan Stevens and Connor Larkin hit back-to-back singles with one out. It was only the second time in the game OU had consecutive hits.

Much like the first time the Sooners earned some hits, the opportunity vanished with the Lions' third double-play of the evening. OU entered the top of the seventh down 2-0.

Priester followed up his solo homer in the fifth with a triple in the seventh. Walk made a great effort to snag the ball but crashed into the wall — he would be okay as he would make the final out on a pop fly two batters later.

To add insult to injury, Willits fell into the Sooners' sleepy trap in the eighth when he threw poorly to first resulting in the Lions' third run of the game.

Oklahoma will remain to the Pelican State on Thursday when they begin a three-game series with the 15-7 LSU Tigers. LSU lost their first and only conference series of the year to Vanderbilt, only notching a single win.