Sooners fail to sweep

Transcript Staff
The Norman Transcript

March 31, 2008 01:30 am

— The hot streak Oklahoma rode into Sunday’s series finale with Baylor blew out with the wind.
The Sooners fell to 7-3 at L. Dale Mitchell Park, missing a chance to sweep their first Big 12 Conference home series.
The Bears (16-9, 3-6 Big 12) used three home runs in the last five innings to pull away.
OU (20-8-1, 2-3-1) starting pitcher Michael Rocha left without a decision in his third straight start. He gave up two runs on seven hits over five innings. The freshman also struck out seven.
But the Bears’ Willie Kempf (4-1) got the victory. He tossed seven innings of five-hit ball and he also got plenty of run support.
“You have to tip your cap to Baylor’s offense and Willie Kempf,” OU coach Sunny Golloway said. “They are a good team and showed it today. We were not as aggressive at the plate as we needed to be, but we will take the series win and look to carry that momentum into next week.”
The game was tied after four innings, after OU’s J.T. Wise hit his fourth home run of the season. But OU could only scratch together one more run. The Bears pulled away with a two-run home run by Raynor Campbell and solo shots from Aaron Miller and Landis Ware.
Ryan Duke (4-3) took the loss in relief of Rocha. He gave up the go-ahead runs in the seventh inning.
The Sooners had already clinched the series victories over the Bears Friday and Saturday. But a chance was missed to get above .500 in the conference.
Instead, OU will have wait until 6:35 p.m. Friday to make a move up the standings, when Texas visits L. Dale Mitchell Park for the first of three-game set.
The Sooners will step out of conference play at 3 p.m. Tuesday for a home game against Dallas Baptist.