Final Score - Box score
OSU 11
Oklahoma 7
Sunday's finale of the Nike College Showcase had a combined 7 errors, good for 7 unearned runs. The game started terribly for the Beavers, as starting pitcher and cleanup hitter Dylan Davis couldn't get out of the first inning. He struck out the Sooner leadoff batter, but lost the strike zone after that, walking the bases loaded before being replaced by Scott Schultz. Davis stayed in the game as a DH. Schultz induced a groundball, but it was too deep in the 5-6 hole to turn a double play on, so it was just a run-scoring fielders choice. On the next Schultz offering, the runner on first broke, got in a rundown, and wasn't tagged out until the runner from 3rd scored.
The Beavers could've gotten some momentum back, but couldn't capitalize on Sooner mistakes. Tyler Smith hit a little spinner off the end of his bat, and the 2nd baseman couldn't field it cleanly. Michael Conforto singled, and a Davis flyball was dropped, a play that should've scored Smith from 2nd, but didn't, and a Ryan Dunn double play ball ended the inning.
Oregon State absolutely fell apart in the 2nd inning. It started with a leadoff single, which was followed by a bunt, which was popped up, but placed perfectly down the first base line. Schultz thought he could catch it with a dive, but instead knocked it just far enough away from himself to make his throw to first late. Had he stayed on his feet and played it on a bounce, he easily gets the out. Had he let it bounce, there was a chance it could bounce foul; but he did neither, and the Sooners were in business.
Oklahoma once again put a bunt down, and this time Schultz made the right decision, throwing to 3rd. Unfortunately, thirdbaseman Kavin Keyes didn't have his feet set, and Schultz' throw, which wasn't perfect, but certainly was catchable, went into left field. Out in left field, Jordan Dunatov misplayed it, and by it was all over, two runs had scored, and the batter was on third. After a hit batsmen, the Beavers finally recorded an out on a sacrifice bunt, giving Oklahoma 2nd and 3rd with one out. The next batter hit a bloop into centerfield that was misread by Ryan Dettman, and as he tried to break in on the ball, he slipped, allowing the ball to drop, and a run to score. A sacrifice groundout, followed by a 2-run single wrapped up the scoring for the Sooners in the inning, and evidently the game, as they held a 7-0 lead.
Carlos Rodriguez replaced Schultz to start the third, who went 1.2 innings, surrendering 5 unearned runs on 5 hits. Rodriguez fared much better, throwing a much needed 3 scoreless innings, despite walking 4 runners.
Cleanup hitter Michael Conforto got the Beavers on the board in the 4th, leading off with a homerun to left field, which had a hitters' breeze all day. Conforto continued his incredible start to his Beaver career on Sunday, going 3-4 with 3 runs and 2 RBI's, Later in the inning, Ryan Dunn hit an infield single, and advanced to 3rd on an errant pickoff throw. A wild pitch moved him to 3rd, and Ryan Barnes hit an RBI groundout, making it a 7-2 game.
In the 5th, Max Gordon hit a one-out single, but was then picked off. Tyler Smith, who also had quite a game, going 3-5 with 2 runs, hit a double, and Conforto followed that up with a walk. Davis, who bounced back very well after a bad start pitching-wise, drove in Smith with a double.
Eventual winning pitcher Riley Wilkerson replaced Carlos Rodriguez in the 6th, and the new pitcher didn't let his inherited runner score, while also recording 3 putouts in the inning, with two walks in between them.
Oklahoma gave the game away in the 7th, having the equivalent to the Beaver 2nd inning. Another Max Gordon double started the inning, and Tyler Smith hit a low line drive that bounced off the pitchers' foot to the third basemen, who couldn't beat Smith with a throw. Conforto doubled home Gordon, and Davis brought the Beavers to within 1 run, at 7-6, with a two-run double. Dunn hit a relatively routine (although nothing's routine on wet grass, with rain falling, and a hard wind blowing) flyball to right, which was dropped, and the Beavs had 2nd and 3rd, still with nobody out. Dunn went 2-5 on the day, scoring 3 times, while driving in 1. Barnes couldn't get the job done, hitting a comebacker, and Conforto was intentionally walked. Danny Hayes, who was pinch-hitting for the struggling Kavin Keyes, hit a hard groundball to first, but it got through (Buckner?), allowing 2 runs to score, and the Beavers to take the lead 8-7. Miraculously, Oklahoma hadn't made a pitching change in the inning until a batter after that, and he recorded the final out.
Tony Bryant relieved Riley Wilkerson in the 8th, after Wilkerson had thrown 2 scoreless innings, although he too had struggled with his control, walking 3 Sooners. Bryant breezed through the last two innings, allowing a leadoff single in the 8th, but nothing more, including striking out 2 in the 9th inning.
After Tyler Smith singled, and Conforto beat out a double-play ball, Dylan Davis absolutely crushed a breaking ball over the fence in left, giving the Beavers a 10-7 lead. Davis had another incredible game, going 3-5, scoring twice, and driving in 5 of the Beavers' 11 runs. The very next batter Ryan Dunn added another insurance run, also going yard to left field.
The Beavs begin conference play next weekend, visiting a Cal team which is currently ranked #25 with a 10-3 record. They swept Pacific to start the year, a team that the Beavers beat also.