OU Baseball Falls To Baylor

The University of Oklahoma baseball team suffered its first shutout-loss of the season, a 3-0 defeat at Baylor on Friday night. The Sooners dropped to 17-11 overall and evened their Big 12 record at 2-2. The Bears improved to 11-14 and 3-4.

Baylor got a run in the first and that was all that was needed. Center fielder Logan Brown hit a lead-off single to center on an 0-2 pitch and moved into scoring position by stealing second. He then scored on a two-out, 0-2 single up the middle by designated hitter Mitchell Price.

The Bears added two runs against OU sophomore right-handed starter Jake Elliott in the fifth. Third baseman Jonathan Ducoff led off with a single and left fielder Levi Gilcrease attempted to sacrifice him into scoring position. Elliott fielded the bunt, but his throw to first went awry and Ducoff scored with Gilcrease moving on to third. Gilcrease came in to push the lead to 3-0 on a sacrifice-fly by second baseman Steven McLean.

Elliott (3-3) went seven innings, pitching through the sixth for the sixth time in seven starts this season. He scattered seven hits and allowed three runs, one earned, with 10 strikeouts and zero walks.

Left-hander Daniel Castano (2-3) went wire-to-wire for the complete game-shutout for Baylor. He allowed five hits, struck out four and worked around five walks.

For the game, the Sooners left 11 runners on base. Oklahoma got the lead-off man to reach just once all night and through the first six innings, saw eight base runners reach with two outs.

Junior catcher Chris Shaw collected two of the Sooners' five hits to go along with a walk. Redshirt-senior right fielder Taylor Alspaugh (Broken Arrow, Okla.) and senior pinch-hitter Joshua Ake both doubled.

Game two of the series is set for 3:00 pm Saturday afternoon with sophomore right-hander Alec Hansen scheduled to start for Oklahoma.