Baseball Comes Up Short Against OCU

CHICKASHA – Two unearned runs and a very questionable call that took a run off the scoreboard cost the University of Science of Arts a 3-2 loss to No. 2 Oklahoma City in Friday’s game at Bill Smith Ballpark.

In game one of a three-game weekend series that has conference title implications the Stars got a gift early and scored two runs in the second inning because of an errant throw on a sacrifice bunt.

In the second inning and with a runner on first base, Justin Funk laid down the bunt. OCU’s Drew McAdoo scored from first on the throw that ended up in right field. Funk scored from third base on a base hit on the next at bat by Patrick Norris.

USAO scored one run in the third, but the rally fell apart quickly.

With the bases loaded and one out, Brandt Lierle hit a blooper to shallow right field that scored Bryan Jones and tied the game at 2-2. Right fielder Kody Kaiser made a play on the ball and threw it to first looking for the double play as the USAO runners advanced since no call was made by either umpire on the blooper.

OCU argued for the double play, which would take Jones’ run off the board, while USAO argued the ball fell. Despite the OCU defense being called back onto the field, signaling that the run may count, the play was eventually ruled a double play, and the inning as well as the USAO threat was over.

USAO did tie the score in the fifth inning as Joe Burnell scored on a wild throw by OCU catcher Brandon Harrigan. Burnell drew a lead-off walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Louie Romero. A wild pitch on ball four to Jones moved Burnell to third base, and he later scored on the bad throw trying to throw out Jones stealing second.

In the sixth, OCU’s Funk scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Kaiser.

In the bottom of the ninth Ryan Birney singled to lead off the inning and moved to third before Jones’ grounded out to end the game.

USAO falls to 13-11 overall and 2-2 in the Sooner Athletic Conference while OCU improved to 25-5 overall and 5-0 in the league. USAO’s Pat Bridges got the start and only gave up one earned run in 6 2/3 innings. Matt Mallory entered and was perfect in the final 2 1/3 innings with three strikeouts. 

The series wraps up in Oklahoma City Saturday with a doubleheader scheduled for 1 p.m.

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