OU Baseball: Offensive Firepower Helps Oklahoma Finish Comeback Over Baylor

The Sooners trailed early in the first game of their home series against Baylor on Friday night, but used a swift comeback to win by double digits.

Oklahoma outfielder Bryce Madron (12) throws from the outfield / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY

NORMAN — Oklahoma won its fourth consecutive game on Friday evening, topping the Baylor Bears 19-7 for the Sooners' 30th victory of the season.

For the No. 18-ranked Sooners, junior left hander Braden Davis got the start at pitcher, throwing 5 2/3 innings and allowed six earned runs while recording five strikeouts.

"You can tip your hat to them, they had some good at-bats in their first two innings," Skip Johnson said after the game. "(Davis) kind of settled in and started really making some good pitches and they hit some balls at people. ... I thought he battled and battled."

In the batter's box, junior outfielder John Spikerman went 3-for-5, scoring four runs and tallying one RBI. Senior first baseman Michael Snyder went 3-for-4 at the plate, scoring three runs and notching two RBIs.

In the game's first at-bat, Oklahoma second baseman Jackson Nicklaus mishandled a ground ball, putting redshirt junior outfielder Enzo Apodaca on first base. Ty Johnson and Will Posey then singled for Baylor, bringing Apodaca across.

With two runners on base, Davis then walked junior infielder Hunter Teplanszky and hit junior catcher Cortlan Castle with a pitch to bring another run in. Senior infielder Daniel Altman then hit a sacrifice fly ball to deep centerfield, scoring Posey.

Davis put down the next two batters, logging a strikeout in the process, to end the top of the first inning with Baylor ahead 3-0.

In the bottom of the first inning, Spikerman led off with a ground-rule double. In the next at-bat, senior outfielder Bryce Madron hit a fly ball deep to centerfield which was tracked well by Caleb Bergman, but dropped as the Bears' left fielder jumped into the outfield wall.

Spikerman scored from second base and Madron got to third on the play, putting another runner in scoring position with no outs. Sophomore Easton Carmichael grounded out to third base on the next at-bat, bringing Madron across as the Sooners cut Baylor's lead to one.

Both Snyder and Anthony Mackenzie grounded out in the ensuing at-bats to end the opening frame with the Bears ahead 3-2.

Baylor scored again in the top of the second inning after Bergman singled, Apodaca was hit by a pitch and Johnson doubled to right field. Apodaca came home on the next at-bat when Posey slapped a line-drive single into right field.

Following a strikeout, Castle laid down a sacrifice bunt that scored Johnson to put the Bears ahead 6-2 with two outs. Davis recorded another strikeout to end the top of the second inning.

In the bottom of the third inning, singles from Madron, Snyder and Mackenzie loaded the bases with one out. Nicklaus was walked, scoring Carmichael, and freshman shortstop Jaxon Willits hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to bring Snyder across.

Heading into the fourth inning, the Sooners trailed Baylor 6-4.

Following another three-up, three-down inning from Davis, freshman left fielder Jason Walk led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a triple. Spikerman singled to left field to bring Walk across and cut the Bears' lead to one.

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After Carmichael walked, Snyder hit a line drive to left field to score Spikerman and tie the game at six heading into the fifth inning. Davis blanked Baylor again in the top of the fifth and the Sooners' offense took advantage of three consecutive scoreless innings by the Bears.

Willts was hit by a pitch followed by Walk and Spikerman walks to load the bases with one out. Madron hit a ground ball to the shortstop, but Baylor junior Tyriq Kemp made a throwing error trying to get Spikerman out at second base, allowing WIllits to score.

Carmichael added to Oklahoma's run with an RBI single that scored Walk and Spikerman to give OU a 9-6 lead with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning. Snyder then hit a hard line drive right past the third baseman to score Madron and give the Sooners a 10-6 lead going into the sixth inning.

"I think if they continue to play one pitch at a time and just have quality at-bats and not worry about the outcome. Just focus on what they can control, I think that's the separation," Johnson said. "Since the very first game we've played we kind of felt it and they've really come together and really picked each other up. It's been kind of fun to watch."

In the top of the sixth, Johnson dropped a fly ball just in left field just inside the third base line for the Bears that scored Kemp to put Baylor back on the scoreboard. After the seventh against Davis, Johnson pulled his starting pitcher for junior right hander Dylan Crooks.

OU was held scoreless in the bottom of the sixth and Crooks retired the side in the top of the seventh inning to put the Sooners up by three as they stepped back into the batter's box.

After Spikerman doubled and Madron was hit by a pitch, Carmichael slapped a hard hit ground ball down the third base line that glanced off of Teplanszky's glove. The play scored Spikerman and Madron, bringing Oklahoma's lead to five.

Later in the inning, Snyder was walked, putting runners on first and second. A wild pitched moved Carmichael and Snyder into scoring position and a hard line drive into right field from Mackenzie scored both runners to put the Sooners ahead 14-7.

With the bases loaded, Walk was hit by a pitch to score Nicklaus and grow OU's advantage to eight runs. Walk was the ninth Oklahoma batter to reach base in the seventh inning as the Sooners batted around the lineup.

Another wild pitch scored Willits as 11 OU players batted in the seventh inning while Johnson's team scored six runs to head to the eighth with 16-7 advantage. After Baylor went down in order in the top of the inning, the Bears walked the bases loaded before Mackenzie hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield that scored Madron.

Nicklaus hit a line drive double just over the shortstop's head to score sophomore infielder Patrick Engskov and Snyder. Heading into the final frame, Oklahoma head a commanding 19-7 lead.

Baylor was unable to muster an offensive spark in the ninth inning as the Sooners cruised to a 12-run victory.

Game 2 of the series will take place at 4 p.m. on Saturday at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

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