BAKERSFIELD, Calif.—On a day in which Oklahoma defeated CSU Bakersfield in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, the Sooner baseball team recorded a 6-3 victory against the Roadrunner baseball team Friday night at Hardt Field.

Oklahoma's Domenic DeRenzo homered to left for the game's first run in the top of the third. Max Carter came to the plate with runners on the corners with one out for CSUB in the bottom of the third. David Metzgar, who worked out a walk against Sooner starter Alec Hansen, stole second. Carter fell behind 1-2 in the count, but he managed to put the ball in play and ground out to second, scoring Christian Deaton. Hansen recorded his fourth strikeout, retiring Chance Gusbeth for the third out.

Hansen walked Frailey and Metzgar with one out in the bottom of the fifth. Hansen reached 100 pitches, so Ryan Madden came on in relief to face Carter. With the count 1-1, Madden hit Carter. Gusbeth singled to right to plate Frailey and Metzgar as Carter was thrown out attempting to advance to third. Steven Hunter, a lefty, relieved Madden to face the left handed hitting Ryan Grotjohn.  Hunter retired Grotjohn with a grounder to short for the final out.

CSUB starter Andrew Hansen retired seven in a row before Sheldon Neuse led off the OU sixth with a single. Jack Flansburg tied the game with his third home run of the season, a blast to right. With one out, Steele Walker singled up the middle. Pinch-hitter Austin O'Brien hit a line shot to left, Deaton attempted to dive for the ball, but he missed, the ball went to the wall. O'Brien earned the triple as Walker scored.

Carter came in from first to relieve Hansen. His first batter became Hunter Hailey as the Roadrunners played the infield in.  Hailey fouled out to left, but it became a sac fly as O'Brien scored. DeRenzo singled to left before Carter struck out pinch-hitter Blake Brewster to wrap up the inning. A Harris RBI ground out in the top of the eighth created a three-run advantage for Oklahoma.

In addition to two hits, Neuse recorded his second save of the weekend with a 1-2-3 ninth. Madden would get the victory in 1.2 inning of relief. Cade Harris, and DeRenzo also recorded two hits for Oklahoma. The Sooners would outhit the 'Runners 10-6. OU pitchers struck out 10 while their Roadrunner counterparts tallied seven K's.

“I thought we did well against Hansen,” said CSUB head coach Bob Macaluso. “We kept the game close as Andrew Hansen pitched well and gave us a chance to win. We couldn't take advantage of the opportunities that were presented. They had the hits down the stretch that beat us.”

Oklahoma (9-9-1) and CSUB (5-12) conclude the series Saturday with a doubleheader that begins at 12 p.m. Tickets are available through the CSUB Ticket Office at (661) 654-BLUE or tickets@csub.edu, or online at Vallitix.com.

~www.GoRunners.com~