OU Baseball: Oklahoma Succumbs to Late Dallas Baptist Rally in Tough Loss

NORMAN – A tough loss to swallow in the midweek.

After opening up Big 12 play with a very nice series win over TCU, Oklahoma finished the homestand on Tuesday night with a midweek bout against familiar foe Dallas Baptist.

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In a highly-competitive game, the Sooners (13-8) and Patriots (14-7) traded leads throughout the evening - but in the end it was DBU who came out on top by a final margin of 8-6.

DBU put OU behind the eight-ball early on Tuesday by striking for three runs in the opening frame of action.

Patriots designated hitter Ethan Mann greeted Oklahoma right-hander Julien Hachem with a three-run blast to get Dallas Baptist ahead early.

The two teams then traded runs in the bottom of the fourth and the top of the fifth, bringing the score to 4-1 at the midway point.

The Sooners then put together one of their patented rallies, erasing the deficit with a three-run frame highlighted by an RBI ground-rule double by Bryce Madron and aided by a pair of DBU throwing errors.

Madron doubled to the deepest part of the park!

💻 https://t.co/LAgRHKFXiX #COMPETE | #CHAOUS pic.twitter.com/RnDUWihR68
— Oklahoma Baseball (@OU_Baseball) March 22, 2023

Heading to the sixth, the game was all square at 4-4 - but it wouldn’t stay that way for long.

Oklahoma then tacked on another run to take the lead on a sacrifice fly from Easton Carmichael that plated John Spikerman.

But, to the Patriots credit, they weren't about to go away quietly as they would rally themselves to even the game back up at five apiece.

But, yet again, the OU offense would respond.

Using some good ole fashioned small ball, the Sooners jumped back in front in the bottom of the seventh.

Jackson Nicklaus opened the inning with a double, he then took third on a sacrifice bunt by Wallace Clark, and then scored on a sacrifice bunt by Sebastian Orduno.

Leadoff double by J-Nick #COMPETE | #CHAOUS pic.twitter.com/z4QmBrzKJe
— Oklahoma Baseball (@OU_Baseball) March 22, 2023

Now leading 6-5, Oklahoma needed six more outs from their bullpen to secure the win.

After Braden Carmichael and Carson Pierce teamed up to work the eighth, OU went to right-hander Aaron Weber (0-1) to seal the deal in the ninth.

But Weber, who had been very good so far this year for the Sooners, didn't have his best stuff on Tuesday night as he struggled with command.

On three walks, the Patriots loaded the bases and then took the lead on a two-run single up the middle by Nate Rombach.

After Miguel Santos added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly, Dallas Baptist took an 8-6 lead to the bottom of the ninth.

Clark would draw a one-out walk for OU as they attempted to rally, with Kendall Pettis later singling to put runners on the corners with two outs.

But the Sooners couldn't muster any further offense as John Spikerman struck out to end the game as DBU held on for the victory.

The loss is just Oklahoma's fourth in their last 15 games, but will still certainly sting given the late lead.

After a couple days off from game action, the Sooners will return to conference play on Friday as they begin a three-game series against the Kansas State Wildcats in Manhattan, KS.