Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics
NORMAN, Okla. — Wichita State held a red-hot Oklahoma offense to just three hits but could only muster a single run as the #18-ranked Sooners held off WSU 3-1 on Tuesday night at L. Dale Mitchell Park.
The Shockers (21-21) used nine pitchers, none for longer than four outs, to keep the Sooners (25-14) off balance throughout the evening. Starter Jack Mount worked a scoreless first and Daniel Zang logged a 1-2-3 second, but Oklahoma did all their damage in the third against the combination of Zang and Drew Iverson.
Back-to-back one-out walks set the stage for Bryce Madron, who banged an RBI double into the right field corner for a 1-0 lead. Easton Carmichael followed with a two-run single, extending the lead to 3-0.
The Sooners managed just one single over the final five innings, as the bullpen arms Mason Munz, Peyton Walters, Ronald Zayas, Ryan Geraghty, Hunter Holmes and Nate Adler kept the Shockers within striking distance. Holmes delivered one of the game's most crucial sequences, entering with runners at first and third with one out and inducing a 4-6-3 double play to escape the jam.
Offensively, Wichita State squandered a pair of early scoring opportunities that would prove costly. In the first inning, a two-out walk from Dayvin Johnson followed by a Derek Williams single put men at the corners with two outs, but Ryan Callahan grounded out to third to end the threat. In the third, three walks loaded the bases again with two outs, but Callahan's deep fly to center was caught just shy of the warning track.
The only offense came courtesy of Jordan Rogers, who smacked a solo home run to lead off the top of the fourth inning off reliever Will Karsten that pulled the Shockers within 3-1. WSU got two-out, extra-base hits in the sixth (Rogers triple), seventh (Camden Johnson double), and eighth (Callahan double) but failed to produce a run in all three chances.
Malachi Witherspoon worked a 1-2-3 ninth to secure his second save of the season, both against the Shockers. Carter Campbell (2-0) earned the win with two scoreless innings in relief.
Zang (2-3) took the loss for Wichita State, allowing two runs in 1.1 innings.
The Shockers return home for a three-game conference series against Tulane. First pitch of Friday's series opener is scheduled for 6:00 pm.