Oklahoma rally falls short this time

Three home runs, including two by Jimmy Crooks, put the Sooners in position to win, but KU wins it in extra innings

Peyton Graham and Jimmy Crooks

Joshua R. Gateley / OU Athletics

NORMAN — Oklahoma nearly completed another impossible rally. But this time, the Sooners fell short.

OU fell behind Kansas 5-0 on Saturday in a Big 12 Conference game at L. Dale Mitchell Park, but the Jayhawks won it in 8-7 in 10 innings.

In a Tuesday win over Oral Roberts, OU fell behind 8-0 and rallied to win.

The Sooners fell to 15-15 overall, 2-6 in Big 12 play, while Kansas improved to 18-12 and 2-6. The loss ends a string of six straight OU victories over KU, including Friday’s series opener.

Kansas jumped all over left-hander OU Jake Bennett in the third inning with five runs of seven hits and a walk, including a three-run home run by Anthony Tulimero.

Oklahoma got most of it back with four runs in the fourth inning on Jimmy Crooks’ leadoff home run followed by a single from Tyler Hardman and back-to-back-to-back doubles by Diego Muniz, Brett Squires and Conor McKenna. McKenna’s rip down the left field line scored two runs and made it 5-4.

With KU back up 7-4 in the seventh inning, Crooks hit another home run, this one a two-out, two-run shot to right that brought home Peyton Graham and but it to 7-6.

Graham tied it in the bottom of the eighth with a two-out, solo home run to right.

OU put the winning run on base in the bottom of the ninth when Crooks drew a one-out walk, but Hardman struck out swinging and Muniz flied out to right field.

In the 10th, KU’s James Cosentino put the Jayhawks back in front with a one-out, solo homer that made it 8-7.

The Sooner bats got nothing going in their half of the 10th, however as Squires flied out and McKenna and Brandon Zaragoza struck out swinging.

Diego Muniz

Joshua R. Gateley / OU Athletics

Crooks finished 2-for-4 at the plate with three RBIs and two runs scored. Graham also scored two runs and an RBI, and McKenna had two RBIs.

OU pitchers struck out 10 Jayhawks and only walked two, but gave up 16 hits.

Oklahoma closer Jason Ruffcorn (2-1) pitched two solid innings, including four strikeouts, but gave up the Cosentino home run and was tagged with the loss.

Sunday’s rubber match gets started at 2 p.m.