Oklahoma sent nine different pitchers to the mound in a 4-2 exhibition victory over Arkansas on Friday night at Baum-Walker Stadium. The Sooners led in hits, 13-6, in the nine innings played by regulars.
After the teams broke for five minutes, the reserves were scheduled to play for another five innings.
Oklahoma 4, Arkansas 2, End 9th Inning
Elijah Trest is pitching the 9th for the Hogs. He allowed a run on two hits and a walk. His first pitch was 96 mph for a strike. He fanned his first batter, then gave up Tyler Hardman's double to left off the glove of a diving Cole Austin at third. Austin had been magnificent on two stops earlier in the game and made a good bid to stop a third. Brady Harlan's bounce out moved the runner to third. Connor McKenna walked. Brandon Zaragoza plated a run with a single to left. It was his third hit with a walk.
Oklahoma maintained it's pitching rotation for all nine innings, just one inning for each pitcher. The Sooners sent Jason Ruffcorn to the mound, the ninth pitcher of the night. Casey Martin fanned. Heston Kjerstad smashed it into the teeth of a 20 mph wind and it bounced high off the wall in center for a triple. Kjerstad probably could have scored after the ball bounced past the center fielder. Cole Austin singled him home to make it 4-2. Dominic Tamaz worked a 3-2 count, but bounced into a force out at third base. Bryce Matthews fanned on a pitch in the dirt to strand two.
Oklahoma 3, Arkansas 1, End 8th Inning
Jacob Burton is on to pitch the eighth for the Hogs. He hit 95 mph on the radar gun, tops since the first when OU starter Cade Cavalli hit 97. Conor McKenna singled with one out. Brandon Zaragoza stroked a hit-and-run single to right. McKenna scored from third on Peyton Graham's single to center. A walk brought on Marshall Denton to pitch. A strikeout and a ground out put out the bases loaded jam. The Sooners lead in hits, 11-4, and have stranded 11.
The Sooners lead after Patrick Wicklander gave up a walk and an RBI double in the second and Connor Noland gave up a solo homer in the fifth. The Hogs answered with a single run on a walk, a throwing error by the catcher and an RBI single by Dominic Tamez.
Zack Matthews will pitch the eighth for OU, the eighth pitcher of the night. He struck out Jacob Nesbit, Christian Franklin and Zack Gregory.
Oklahoma 2, Arkansas 1, End of 7th Inning
Kole Ramage is on to pitch the seventh, the fifth pitcher of the night. Carter LaValley reached on a strikeout, when a pitch in the dirt bounced away from Casey Opitz. Tanner Tredaway popped out to center. A wild pickoff throw moved the runner to second. Kendall Pettis worked a walk after falling behind 1-2. Brady Lindsly reached on a pop to short left to load the bases. Casey Martin made a long run to make a bid at a catch, but it bounced off his glove. It should have been the left fielder's ball, but Bryce Matthews backed up first with the wind blowing in. Ramage got out of it on a bouncer to short for an easy double play. Martin flipped to Jacob Nesbit and there was plenty of time at first for slow running Tyler Hardman.
Attendance was announced at 6,378.
Wyatt Olds is pitching the seventh for the Sooners. Heston Kjerstad bounced out to second. Cole Austin singled to left, but was thrown out at second trying for a double. Casey Opitz stroked a single into right field. Austin probably could have gone first to third if he'd been satisfied with a single. That became an even bigger play when the second baseman muffed an attempted tag of Opitz just in front of second base on a soft bouncer by Dominic Tamaz. The ball came out of the glove and into center field with Opitz motoring to third. Bryce Matthews stranded two on a called strike three.
Oklahoma 2, Arkansas 1, End 6th Inning
Zeb Vermillion allowed only a two-out single to Brandon Zaragoza on a bouncer up the middle. He came in throwing heat. He only needed 13 pitches in his first inning of work.
Jaret Godman is on to pitch the sixth for the Sooners. Christian Franklin walked to lead off. Zack Gregory made a bid for a two-run homer. With the wind blowing in, at 20 mph he hit an opposite field liner to the wall in left field for a long out. Franklin was out stealing. Casey Martin fanned.
Oklahoma 2, Arkansas 1, End 5th Inning
Tanner Tredaway cracked a no-doubt homer off Connor Noland to straight away left field to lead off the fifth. Noland retired the next three batters on routine plays, but that made it 2-0 Sooners.
Brad Demco is the fifth pitcher for the Sooners. Cole Austin walked, then moved to third on a stolen base and an errant throw by the catcher that went into center field. Dominic Tamaz slapped a single past the third baseman to plate Austin to cut the lead to 2-1. Bryce Matthews was called out and Jacob Nesbit popped out to the third baseman.
Oklahoma 1, Arkansas 0, End 4th Inning
Connor Noland relieves for the Hogs after Kevin Kopps pitched the first and Patrick Wicklander took care of the second and third innings. Brady Harlan reached on a bunt single, perfectly placed near the third base line. Noland threw late to first. Conor McKenna bounced a single between short and third base. Brandon Zaragoza bounced out to short with both runners moving up. Peyton Graham was out on a soft floater to second base. Carter LaValley fanned to strand both.
Ben Abram is the fourth pitcher of the night for the Sooners. Zack Gregory bounced out to first and Casey Martin was out on a weak pop to second base. Heston Kjerstad was out on a bouncer to second to end the fourth.
Oklahoma 1, Arkansas 0, End 3rd Inning
The Sooners went 1-2-3 against Wicklander in the third. The new corner infielders both made plays behind him, including a second sparkling play at third from Arizona State transfer Cole Austin. This time Austin went to his knee to make a back-hand stab of Tyler Hardman's bouncer and made a strong throw to first for the final out of the inning. Heston Kjerstad charged to field his first chance at first base for the second out of the third.
Dane Acker is on to pitch the third for the Sooners. Bryce Matthews walked to lead off the inning. Jacob Nesbit was called out on strikes. Christian Franklin fanned with Matthews running. It wasn't close at second on the double play to end the frame.
Oklahoma 1, Arkansas 0, End 2nd Inning
Reliever Patrick Wicklander issued a one-out walk to Brandon Zaragoza. Carter LaValley's two-out liner to the gap in right center plated Zaragoza from first. Second baseman Jacob Nesbit didn't make a play at the plate with the relay throw. He double pumped and seemed surprised that Zaragoza was testing his arm. LaValley got a stand-up double. Cole Austin went to the line at third to field Tanner Treadway's bouncer and made a strong throw to retire the Sooners.
There will be no attendance announced, but the free admission packed Baum-Walker Stadium. In the personal view, attendance is around 4,500.
Levi Prater relieves for the Sooners. Heston Kjerstad lined a single to left. Casey Opitz was called out on strikes. Dominic Tamaz struckout swinging.
Arkansas 0, Oklahoma 0, End 1st Inning
Arkansas starter Kevin Kops retired the first two Sooners without any problem, but he didn't fool anyone after that. He pitched only the first inning after taking a line drive off his right leg. Brady Lindsly singled to left before Tyler Hardman's liner bounced off Kopps and went for an infield hit. Brady Harlan then lined to deep left for the third out. Patrick Wicklander relieved to start the second inning.
The Hogs went 1-2-3. Christian Franklin, the leadoff man, hit a hard shot the second baseman took on the first hop. Zack Gregory fanned before Casey Martin bounced out to shortstop.
Pregame
It has been a cool and rainy day in Fayetteville, but the rain appears to be out of the area for the rest of the night.
The 7:30 p.m. start time was necessitated by Oklahoma's class and travel schedule. NCAA rules for these scrimmages state that players cannot miss class, so the Sooners bussed over following their classes earlier in the day.
The scrimmage is supposed to last 14 innings. There will be a short break after nine innings.
Arkansas is starting Kevin Kopps, Connor Noland and Patrick Wicklander around two innings each to begin the game. Both teams should play several players. Oklahoma will pitch Cade Cavalli. He pitched with Team USA this summer.
Here is the Arkansas starting lineup:
Christian Franklin lf
Zack Gregory rf
Casey Martin ss
Heston Kjerstad 1b
Cole Austin 3b
Casey Opitz c
Dominic Tamez dh
Bryce Matthews lf
Jacob Nesbit 2b
Kevin Kopps P
Here is the Oklahoma starting lineup:
Tanner Treadway cf
Kendall Pettis lf
Brady Lindsly c
Tyler Hardman 1b
Brady Harlan rf
Conor McKenna 2b
Brandon Zaragoz ss
Peyton Graham 3b
Carter LaValley dh
Cade Cavalli P