Sooners visit Cowboys tonight for first Bedlam battle

While Oklahoma and Oklahoma State had their troubles over the weekend, nothing brings out the best in both when it comes to Bedlam and fans can expect plenty of intensity at tonight’s game.

The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at O’Brate Stadium and fans should note this does not count in the Big 12 standings.

OU comes in after Tech rout

Sunday the Sooners had junior right fielder Bryce Madron and sophomore second baseman Jackson Nicklaus team up for three home runs as the Sooners earned the 12-2 run-rule victory against No. 21 Texas Tech.

In addition to the power display, Oklahoma starting pitcher Braden Carmichael dominated on the mound, pitching 7.1 innings with one earned run. Carmichael earned the win (2-0) and tallied five strikeouts

“He [Braden] really settled in a little bit and started making some pitches,” said Oklahoma head baseball coach Skip Johnson. “Kind of kept them off balance. Overcame a pop up over here that we probably should’ve caught and then, he got it going a little bit and we got the lead.”

Junior first baseman Anthony Mackenzie walked with two outs in the second and Nicklaus put the Sooners on the board with a two-run blast.The Sooner added to the tally in the next inning on a solo home run by Madron.

Oklahoma (19-18, 4-8 Big 12) held a 3-1 advantage after four and separated itself with four runs in the fifth.

Sophomore third baseman Wallace Clark opened the inning with a walk and the Sooners had runners on first and second after a single by freshman left fielder Rocco Garza-Gongora. An error by Tech loaded the bases. Madron slashed a single through the right side to score Clark. After a Tech pitching change, junior shortstop Dakota Harris recorded a sacrifice fly, plating the second run of the inning. Down to their last out, sophomore center fielder John Spikerman laced a two-out double down the right field line, scoring the final two runs of the inning.

Cowboys eager to regain form

The Cowboys entered last weekend’s series with West Virginia in good position in the standings at 7-5 but the Mountaineers took the first two games and it was only the fact the Cowboys rallied for six runs in the eighth inning to win its series finale against West Virginia, 11-6, Sunday at O’Brate Stadium the put some positive spin on the series.

The win snapped OSU’s five-game losing streak as the 14th-ranked Cowboys improved to 24-13 overall and 8-7 in Big 12 play, while the 25th-ranked Mountaineers fell to 25-11 and 5-4 in the Big 12.

Tyler Wulfert’s 4-for-5 day, and Marcus Brown’s three-run homer powered the Cowboys’ offense. Roc Riggio went 3-for-5 and added to his team-high totals with his 11th home run and 12th double of the season.

Two-way standout Carson Benge got the start for the Cowboys, working three innings and striking out three while allowing three runs. Ryan Bogusz had his best outing of the season, working three shutout innings and picking up a pair of strikeouts.

Brian Hendry recorded the win to move to 2-0 as he kept the visitors off the scoreboard over the final 1 2/3 innings and struck out three.