NORMAN, Okla. – Oklahoma collected 18 hits – five of which went for extra base – and the Sooners held K-State scoreless for the final four innings to take a 10-5 victory Saturday evening at L. Dale Mitchell Park. With the victory, Oklahoma tied the series at one game apiece and improved to 30-21-1 overall and 7-15-1 in Big 12 play. The loss dropped Kansas State to 24-26 overall and 8-15 in the league.

The Sooners received big production from the top of its lineup as Jamie Johnson, Aljay Davis and Mike Gosse combined to go 8-for-13 with four RBI and eight runs scored. Aaron Baker drove in a game-high four runs, going 4-for-5 in the process.

Kansas State was led offensively by Brett Scott, who was 2-for-4 with one RBI, while Jason King was 1-for-1 with two RBI, which came on a second-inning solo home run.

Sooner starter Andrew Doyle (7-3) kept the Wildcats in check early as he allowed just one run in the first four frames. He was tagged with four runs in the fifth, but took the win as Oklahoma was able to hold on to lead for the whole game.

The Wildcats received a good pitching performance from reliever Todd Vogel, who came out of the pen in the second inning to limit the Sooners to just two runs after starter A.J. Morris (4-3) gave up five earned runs in 1.2 innings.

Oklahoma put up the first runs of the game with three runs in the first inning. Johnson led things off with a single and was sacrificed over to second. Gosse was next and hit a single into right center field to plate the first run of the game. Following a groundout, Baker and Spencer Selby roped back-to-back doubles to bring in two more runs and give the Sooners and early 3-0 lead.

Kansas State got on the board in the second with King’s one-out solo home run, but the Sooners countered with a three runs in the bottom half of the inning, all coming with two outs. Johnson led off the attack with a single and a steal before Davis drove him for the first run of the inning, which knocked Morris out of the game. Vogel came in and faced Gosse, who hit another single, and walked J.T. Wise before Baker brought in a pair of runs on a single to right field to push the OU lead out to 6-1.

Kansas State stared to chip away at the lead and got back within two with four runs in the fifth inning. Byron Wiley led the frame off with a single to left field and, two batters later, Rob Vaughn singled to center. Carter Jurica was next and was hit by a Doyle fastball to load the bases. Scott and Nate Tenbrink followed with a pair of singles to plate two runs. Justin Bloxom followed with another hit-by-pitch, brining in another run, and King followed with a sacrifice fly to make the score 7-5.

Both the Sooners and Wildcats went scoreless for the next three innings before the wheels came off for Kansas State in the eighth. A Matt Harughty double knocked reliever Trevor Hurley out of the game and Tyler Ruch came in to give up two straight-singles, the latter by Davis, which brought in a pair of runs. Ruch then tried to pick off Davis at first base, but the throw was wild, allowing Davis to move to third. The throw coming into third base was late and Tenbrink held onto the ball while catcher Daniel Dellasega, without asking for time, went to the mound, which left home uncovered, and Davis wisely scored the final run of the frame.

The rubber match of the three-game series between Kansas State and Oklahoma is set for a 1 p.m. first pitch at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

– k-statesports.com –