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Bedlam 2006-2007

Football:

The Bedlam Gods Swung Another One To The Sooners

Oklahoma defensive end Larry Birdine didn't get to OSU quarterback Zac Robinson in time, so he spun toward the end zone to watch Saturday's final pass.

Here's what he saw: D'Juan Woods slipping behind the Sooner defense. Woods and OU cornerback Lendy Holmes leaping. And Bedlam spiraling in the balance. "My heart was pounding," Birdine said. Safe to say it was the same on the sidelines. And in the stands. And in the homes across the state. "I just watched," Birdine said. "I watched and prayed ? ‘either knock it down or go out of the end zone.' " Then, before 42,819 at Boone Pickens Stadium, the Bedlam gods swung another one to the Sooners.

Robinson's pass, tipped by Holmes, sailed just off Woods' fingers and out the back of the end zone as time expired on another series classic in Stillwater. Oklahoma 27, Oklahoma State 21. With the win, OU won its seventh straight to move to 10-2 and advance to Saturday's Big 12 championship game in Kansas City. There the Sooners will face Nebraska with even more in the balance: a spot in the Fiesta Bowl.

OSU dropped to 6-6, yet is likely headed to the Independence Bowl. It was a fourth straight Bedlam win for the Sooners, who improved to 78-16-7 overall in the series. But it also delivered the drama now expected when the teams clash in Stillwater. "It was a great, hard-fought game," Sooners coach Bob Stoops said. "An exciting game to be involved with."

Said Cowboys coach Mike Gundy: "That was a heck of a college football game. It was a lot of fun. That was about as fun a game as I have ever been involved in as a player or a coach." That after the teams exchanged long touchdown drives at the outset. And after OU twice built 13-point second half leads. And after the backed-up Sooners stuffed OSU on four tries inside the 5 to thwart one drive. And after the Cowboys refused to go away, scoring with 6:41 left to again make it a seat-squirmer. And especially after it all came down to one play, with five seconds remaining, and the backup Robinson — surprisingly in for starter Bobby Reid — launching the ball to the end zone.

The Sooners put it on their defense and reined in their offense. OU attempted but one pass in the fourth quarter. "We got conservative," Stoops confessed. Running back Allen Patrick returned from a nagging ankle injury and gave the Sooners 163 rushing yards and a touchdown romp of 65 yards that boosted a 13-7 halftime lead to two scores. Chris Brown, Patrick's backup who had played so well the previous two weeks, gave OU its final score on a 1-yard run that made it 27-14 with 3:51 to play in the third quarter.

The Sooners netted one yard after that. "Once we figured out where everyone was supposed to be, we slowed (Oklahoma) down," said Cowboys defensive end Marque Fountain. OSU drove to a first down at the Sooners 2 at the end of the third quarter, but failed to score when Robinson fumbled an option-keeper into the end zone and OU's Demarrio Pleasant recovered.

After a Cowboys defensive stand, Reid capped the touchdown drive that made it 27-21 with a fourth-down lob to Woods. Another OU three-and-out led to the Cowboys' final drive, which started at their own 37 and reached the Sooner 25 with five seconds showing.

From the shotgun, Robinson took the snap and waited as a slew of receivers raced to the end zone. The Sooners countered with some strategy, positioning linebackers Rufus Alexander and Zach Latimer to slow down OSU's main threats. Alexander chucked Woods, while Latimer jostled with Adarius Bowman. Eventually, both reached the end zone.

So did Robinson's pass. "I had a little pressure, so I had to get rid of it," Robinson said. "I didn't see what happened." Holmes, waiting, leaped high and got a finger on the ball, while Woods shuffled his feet and reached for the pass in a flurry in and out of the end zone. "(Woods) can jump. I can jump," Holmes said. "I'm a competitor, I'm not going to let him catch it." Woods didn't.

Back upfield, Birdine breathed easier. "It was the longest five seconds ? ever," Birdine said. "Just knowing it was long, I was the first one off the field. If they want to say we escaped, we escaped. We're getting out of Stillwater, man."

John Helsley, Staff Writer. Last-gasp pass fails; great drama ends in OU's favor. The Oklahoman. Sunday, November 25, 2006.

Basketball:

Byron Eaton And David Monds Made The Difference

Tyler Hatch entered Bedlam with 24 seconds on the clock on Monday night. In his time on the court — which wasn't enough to round up past zero minutes in the box score — Hatch made the biggest hustle play of the night and sank the two biggest free throws, icing a 66-61 win for Oklahoma State.

It was a night in which the offensive stars, Mario Boggan and JamesOn Curry, both played solid for Oklahoma State but role players like Hatch, Byron Eaton and David Monds made the difference. "At the beginning of the game the coaches said it was gonna be the X-factor,” senior David Monds said. "Of course Mario and JO are big-time offensive players but … it was up to (the rest of the team).”

Sutton's pep talk was based on Bedlam history. "In this series over the years there were guys that were X-factors,” Sutton said. "Everyone focuses on the stars and certain guys come up big. I challenged Byron, David and Kenny to be those guys. Monds played his best game in a month and Byron played one of his best games.”

Sutton didn't necessarily anticipate Hatch's clutch role. Hatch, after all, is a walk-on and last man off the bench for the Cowboys. But Sutton said he decided to put Hatch in the game to play perimeter defense for Boggan, with the Cowboys up three points with less than 30 seconds to play.

Oklahoma took the ball downcourt down three points, but Austin Johnson missed a long 3-pointer. Hatch came up with the loose ball and was fouled by David Godbold, setting up Hatch's free throws. "And he made a big play,” Sutton said. Eaton scored a season-high 17 points and didn't have a single turnover and Monds grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds. Curry finished with 12 points and 7 rebounds and Boggan had 13 points and one rebound.

Forward Nate Carter scored a season-high 23 points and Michael Neal had 13 points for Oklahoma. Neal hit three 3-pointers and had all 13 of his points in the first half. Carter had 15 in the first half. "I didn't make a very good decision early,” head coach Sean Sutton said. "I put Mario on Carter and they did a really good job of exposing him early. At halftime, I decided to put Marcus (Dove) on him. I thought JamesOn did a really good job on Neal … But Oklahoma, they played a hell of a game.”

Carter said the Sooners should have found ways to get Neal the ball more in the second half. "We could have screened a lot better,” Carter said. "We gotta get him more touches.” Sutton said Eaton did a good job of recognizing that he needed to take an offensive role early. Eaton drove to the basket and hit layups or pull-up jumpers twice, hit one 3-pointer and sank 6-of-7 free throws in the first half.

Andrea Cohen, Staff Writer. Hatch seals win with free throws; Eaton scores 17. The Oklahoman. Tuesday, January 23, 2007.

OSU head coach Sean Sutton gives instructions to his team.

Cowboys Remain Winless In Big 12 Road Games

Oklahoma State had another slow start, and it eventually cost the Cowboys another Big 12 road loss. The Cowboys are now 0-4 on the road in conference play. "It's just a mystery to me,” Cowboys coach Sean Sutton said of OSU's poor first halves. OSU trailed 30-20 at the end of the first half. "It's the question we've got to figure out.”

The Cowboys' second-half performance, however, Sutton found encouraging. The Cowboys scored on their first 10 possessions of the second half. "We have to compete harder,” Sutton said. "I thought that was one thing that was encouraging tonight is that we played harder and better defense than what we have been playing. We have to be smarter and win on the road, and that is the bottom line.”

Dog house? Oklahoma freshman Bobby Maze doesn't seem to be in good favor with coach Jeff Capel in recent games. The backup point guard did not play Wednesday night and played a total of 10 minutes in the Sooners' previous two Big 12 contests. Capel did not address Maze's lack of playing time but said the freshman is healthy. "He's just fine,” Capel said.

As a result of Maze's absence, Chris Walker has seen an increase in playing time. The senior played 17 minutes Wednesday, mostly as a defensive specialist late in the game. "Eaton was killing us on the dribble penetration,” Capel said. "We wanted to give him a different matchup. I felt like Chris Walker was fresh.”

Dove injured: Junior Marcus Dove was injured in the first half but had X-rays taken on his ankle at halftime and returned to play in the second half. Dove was injured with 3:27 to go in the first half on an inbounds play under the OU basket. He laid on the floor for several minutes and had to be helped off the court. At halftime, he left the floor with the help of two trainers, not putting any weight on his ankle. He came back with about 13 minutes remaining with a minor limp. He is probable for Saturday's game against Texas Tech.

Harris hits: Terrel Harris broke something of a Bedlam jinx when he hit a layup on a fast break in the first half. Harris, a sophomore, had never scored in a Bedlam game. He averages 11.1 points. The first Bedlam was the first time he's played in a game and been held scoreless (Harris missed one game earlier this season). He finished with eight points.

Andrea Cohen, Staff Writer. Bedlam notebook. The Oklahoman. Thursday, February 8, 2007.

Jared Rosholt clinched the dual for the Cowboys with a decision at heavyweight.

Wrestling:

Oklahoma State’s Jared Rosholt recorded a decision over Brad Farmer in the final match of the dual to lift the top-ranked Cowboys to a 17-15 victory over Bedlam rival Oklahoma at the McCasland Fieldhouse in Norman, Okla.

OSU extended its Bedlam winning streak to 17 consecutive matches and improved to 3-0 on the season. OU dropped to 3-1 on the year. The Cowboys and Sooners traded victories following OU’s victory at 157 by Will Rowe, which gave the Sooners a 9-8 lead in the dual. Johny Hendricks gave OSU the lead back with a decision, but OU’s Josh Weitzel upset Brandon Mason in sudden victory to put the Sooners in a position for their first Bedlam victory since the 1995-96 season. Hendricks victory was the 100^th of his career.

The swing match came down to 184 where Jack Jensen met Josh Hinton. OU had fifth-ranked Joel Flaggert waiting at 197 where he could put the dual out of reach for the Cowboys. Jensen took control of the match with a first period takedown and a second period rideout. Jensen held on for a 5-3 decision to give the Cowboys a 14-12 lead in the dual. “Coming in you have to perform for the team,” Jensen said. “It was my job to get the win whether it is a decision or major decision or whatever. I need to win to help my team. In that situation it was pivotal.” “It was nice to see him step out there and create some action,” head coach John Smith said. “He put on a tough ride and that is what it takes to win tough matches. He did a fine job of it.”

Flaggert gave the Sooners the lead once again, but OSU’s Shelton did his job by limiting Flaggert to just a decision. That set the stage for Rosholt who was strong from the top position and rode OU’s Brad Farmer for over three minutes. Rosholt got a third period takedown to seal the dual for the Cowboys. “It took a little of the nervousness off,” heavyweight Jared Rosholt said about receiving a penalty point in the first period. “You are able to relax a little more because you are up by a point. Just be smart and wrestle well from that point on. It felt good to lock up the win.” The difference in the score was the two major decisions that the Cowboys got from Coleman Scott and Nathan Morgan as the two teams each won five matches. All five of OU’s victories were by decision.

Oklahoma State continued its Bedlam dominance with a convincing 29-6 victory over Oklahoma in front of 7,014 fans in Gallagher-Iba Arena on Sunday afternoon. OSU won eight of the 10 bouts, with four wins coming by bonus points. Tyler Shinn, Coleman Scott and Jack Jensen all recorded major decisions and senior Johny Hendricks recorded a technical fall in his final match at home.

The Cowboys improved to 14-5 on the season and extended their Bedlam winning streak to 18 consecutive matches. OU dropped to 7-6 on the year. The Cowboys jumped out to an 11-0 lead after the first three matches. Tyler Shinn recorded a major decision over Henry Roman and Coleman Scott received a major decision over Brian Shelton.

Scott needed a takedown for a technical fall, but Shelton tied up Scott’s leg and ran the clock out. Nathan Morgan followed with a narrow decision over Kyle Terry at 141 pounds. OU got on the board at 149 with a decision by third-ranked Matt Storniolo over B.J. Jackson.

The Cowboys took control of the dual after that. Newly McSpadden recorded a takedown with 40 seconds remaining to rally and defeat OU’s No. 15-ranked Will Rowe. Johny Hendricks then put the dual out of reach for the Sooners. OU’s Shane Seibert came out aggressive and it backfired as Hendricks quickly put nine points on the board in the first period. Hendricks added to it over the next two periods, and came close to pinning him in the third period. Hendricks scored a takedown with 17 seconds remaining and rode out the match for a technical fall to put OSU up 19-3 in the dual.

The best match of the night came at 174 and sealed the win for the Cowboys. Brandon Mason scored a quick takedown on Josh Weitzel and piled well over two minutes of riding time in the first period. Weitzel quickly erased the riding time with a second period ride out, and he scored a third period takedown to send the match into overtime.

Neither wrestler could take the other one down, nor could neither wrestler escape. Mason and Weitzel battled through three sudden victory sessions and three tie-breaker periods. Until after an exhaustive 13 minutes of wrestling, Mason snuck behind Weitzel and scored the winning takedown to put the score out of reach, 22-3, with three matches remaining.

Jack Jensen was impressive with a major decision over Josh Hinton. Jensen scored a takedown with seven seconds remaining in the match to secure the major. OU scored a decision at 197, but OSU’s Jared Rosholt put the finishing touches on the rout with a decision at heavyweight. “I think there was definitely an improvement today and we are heading in the right direction,” head coach John Smith said. “It is going to have to be a lot more to get where we need to be. I know what it is going to take for us at the end and we have not given that to this point. Even with a 29-6 win, there has to be more. I believe we can get there. I think this sent a good message that we are working our tails off for the drive for five.”

Baseball:

Pistol Pete won't be brandishing a broom and skip-dancing atop the Oklahoma dugout come Sunday. And, no, that's not a result of Bevo forcefully confiscating Pete's sweeping stick in Stillwater last weekend. Security simply won't allow it.

Still, the mascot's influence on the Oklahoma-Oklahoma State series remains. If anything, Pete put the bedlam back in Bedlam Baseball a year ago. So, what's next? The possibilities — brawls, beanballs and, yes, mascots gone wild — keep packing the park. "These are games our alums talk about long after they're over,” said Sooners coach Sunny Golloway.

The Cowboys and Sooners renew their colorful annual rivalry this weekend, beginning with tonight's meeting at Drillers Stadium in Tulsa and continuing Saturday and Sunday at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark. Consider it a crucial series for both ballclubs. OSU, ranked No. 20, looks to regroup after being swept by Texas last weekend, still hoping to land an NCAA regional host role. The Sooners find themselves scrambling just to secure an NCAA berth, scuffling below .500 in Big 12 play. Those are major story lines for any Big 12 weekend. Now, mix in a bit of Bedlam and anything can happen, which, after all, is what makes this series so darn appealing.

30,000 fans. Beer flowing in the stands. Bad blood flowing between the lines. A recipe for chaos. Or Bedlam. "Fun times,” said Cowboys first baseman Rebel Ridling. Get a heavy-headed mascot to hoist himself on the dugout and kick a Sooner when he's down — as Pete did to punctuate OSU's series sweep a year ago — and a new chapter to an already rich history is added. "I tell people back home in Tyler (Texas), which is football country,” said Cowboys senior left fielder Ty Wright, "this is pretty much the Yankees-Red Sox of college baseball.”

Wright declined to offer an opinion on which side fills the role of the Evil Empire. But the Sooners seethed at last year's series extracurricular activities, initiated by Pete and extended when Cowboys outfielder Steve Ptak shoved a newspaper clipping into the chest of Sooner pitcher Daniel McCutchen, who had predicted an OU rally to a series victory following Friday night's Sooner loss.

Even the coaches got involved, exchanging obscenities in a face-off at home plate. "I hate to dwell on the past,” Golloway said this week. "But I had no choice, I had to go and defend and fight for my players that thought they were getting pushed around. I did my job and that's to go out and defend my players. I care for my guys. And I'll be there for them.”

Golloway dismissed talk of any carryover, pointing to all the new players in crimson. And the Sooners scored some measure of revenge in the Big 12 Tournament last May, romping to a 21-6 rout. For those who return, however, don't think for a moment that last year's news is old news. "At the end of the game, you've got guys getting a little confrontational,” said Sooner outfielder Joe Dunigan. "And you've got a ...clown on the top of the dugout, setting us off.”

Said OU catcher Jackson Williams: "We definitely want to come back and change the things that happened last year. That's still something that's on our mind for the guys that were here and experienced it.” In retrospect, the 2006 shenanigans might have been good for all involved.

Before all Bedlam broke loose, the Sooners were going down quietly and softly, having scored all of two runs in 27 innings. They responded with a series win at Nebraska the following week, part of a late-season run that carried to within one win of a College World Series berth. "(Bedlam) definitely lit a fire in us,” Williams said.

OSU would finish second in the Big 12 standings and was rewarded with a No. 1 regional seed, albeit at Arkansas. This year, there's plenty to play for. For some, there's some of last year to play for, too. "I don't think it will be that big a deal,” said Cowboys first baseman Rebel Ridling. "At the same time, it's Bedlam. You don't need to add anything extra. "Bedlam, enough said.”

John Helsley, Staff Writer. Bedlam is Back. The Oklahoman. Friday, May 4, 2007.

League-Leading 64th And 65th Home Runs

Before Friday night's Bedlam baseball opener, Oklahoma coach Sunny Golloway stood watching a wind-whipped Old Glory blowing stiff toward left field. And Golloway wondered aloud, "Will home runs decide this thing?” He wouldn't like the answer. Rebel Ridling and Jordy Mercer blasted back-to-back, seventh-inning home runs — each to left field — carrying the No. 20-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys to an 8-7 win before an overflow crowd of 11,184 at Drillers Stadium.

OSU never led until Mercer's solo shot off Sooner reliever Nich Conaway, rallying from 4-1 and 7-3 deficits to win for the seventh straight time against OU in Tulsa. The Cowboys improved to 32-13 overall and 11-8 in the Big 12. OU fell to 28-18 and 8-11. The series shifts to Oklahoma City's AT&T Bricktown Ballpark tonight, with a scheduled 7:35 first pitch. "Our offense knows we're good,” Mercer said. "We knew we could come back from any deficit. And we showed that tonight.”

Conaway, OU's most reliable reliever, helped the Sooners escape a sixth-inning jam after Ty Wright drilled a two-run triple to center field off Stephen Porlier to cut OU's lead to 7-5. Conaway, projected as the possible starter for Sunday's series finale at the Brick, got Corey Brown to pop out to shortstop, ending the threat.

The seventh inning would be Conaway's undoing. He hit Tyler Mach with a pitch to start the seventh. And after striking out Matt Mangini, Ridling drilled a two-run shot into the netting above the left-field wall and Mercer followed with a towering drive down the line. For the Cowboys, those shots were their league-leading 64th and 65th home runs. "That is as good a lineup as I can remember,” Golloway said, "back to Gary Ward's time.” Mercer, a sophomore shortstop from Taloga, had been a hero in last year's Bedlam opener, igniting an OSU offense that had been handcuffed by Sooner starter Daniel McCutchen with a third-inning home run. He also earned the save in that 4-2 win that led to a Cowboys sweep.

This time, he punctuated the Cowboys' comeback. "Another ball out that was huge,” Golloway said. Golloway, who a year ago said allowing a home run to the eighth-hole hitting Mercer was a "mistake,” this time called Mercer a "Sooner killer.” Said Mercer: "I don't think I really have a comment to that. It's just good to win.” The Cowboys acted like it, showing their emotion with every big hit. Chalk that up to Bedlam, and the fact they hadn't won since April 22, swept by Texas last weekend. "We just didn't play very well last week,” said OSU coach Frank Anderson. "We didn't show up. Win, lose or draw, we wanted to show passion.”

The Sooners, slipping further below .500 in conference play, find themselves seeking some winning emotion. "Our backs are to the wall,” Golloway said. "We're in jeopardy of not making the Big 12 (Tournament). We're in jeopardy of not making the NCAA.”

John Helsley, Staff Writer. Home runs lift Cowboys over Sooners. The Oklahoman. Saturday, May 5, 2007.

I’m Just Having Fun

Hey, Jordy Mercer, maybe there’s something to this “Sooner Killer” tag. Oklahoma isn’t completely dead in the Bedlam Series – yet. But entering today’s Game 3, Oklahoma State stands leering over the decked Sooners, who were stricken by Mercer again Saturday night in a 10-2 Cowboys rout. Before a crowd of 12,107 at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark, Mercer’s three-run home run in the second inning got the No. 20-ranked Cowboys started. Plenty of help followed, including on the mound, where another Poke with some solid series history – Oliver Odle – overcame a rocky start to earn his second win over the Sooners in as many starts.

Mercer delivered the game-winner in Friday’s opener, a seventh-inning homer at Drillers Stadium in Tulsa. This time, Mercer unloaded early, seizing back momentum after OU took a 2-0 lead in the first. And he finished 3-for-4 at the plate with two singles, a walk, the three runs batted in and two runs scored. The sophomore from Taloga now has 11 career home runs – four against the Sooners.

OU coach Sunny Golloway dubbed Mercer a “Sooner Killer” after Friday night’s game. Mercer repeated Saturday night that he didn’t know exactly how to respond to such a compliment. But he sure didn’t dispute it. “I’m just having fun,” Mercer said. That’s all I’m doing, having fun.” And sticking it to the Sooners. “Our report’s simple: Away. Away. Away,” Golloway said of the pitching strategy assigned to facing Mercer. “When you miss, he’s going to be able to turn on you. He’s a good hitter. There’s not too many amateur hitters that when you make a mistake, they hurt you like that.”

Taylor said he made a mistake high and away, with the pitch even out of the strike zone. “You’re not supposed to guess, but I was guessing right,” Mercer said. “I didn’t think it was going to go over, to tell you the truth. I hit it on a line and it just kept carrying.” Make no mistake about this: the Cowboys are sniffing their second straight regular-season Bedlam sweep. Today’s game is set for 4 p.m. at The Brick. No word on whether Pistol Pete plans on attending. OSU improved to 33-13 overall and 12-8 in Big 12 play. OU dropped to 28-19 and 8-12. The Sooners, who owned 4-1 and 7-3 leads Friday night, took a 2-0 lead in the first Saturday.

But Mercer’s shot off OU starter and loser Heath Taylor sent the Cowboys in front and on the assault. They finished with 11 hits – five for extra bases – including a mammoth three-run homer by Tyler Mach in a five-run seventh. “I actually haven’t hit a ball like that in a long time,” Mach said. “It felt good to hit one like that.” Odle, who went the distance for a shutout in last year’s sweep-clinching win, improved to 5-4 this season with 6 2/3 innings of work.

Behind him, the Cowboys turned four double plays. “Oliver was really good after (the first inning),” said OSU coach Frank Anderson. “And I felt like we played really good defense behind him. That might have been as good a defensive game as we’ve had all year.”

John Helsley, Staff Writer. Mercer costly to Sooners again. The Oklahoman. Sunday May 6, 2007.

Regular-Season Bedlam Sweep

Sunday, the Cowboys socked the Sooners ever so softly — and devastatingly. Down two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, OSU rallied for an 8-7 win while hitting just one ball hit out of the infield. Part opportunistic and part Sooner self-infliction, the No. 20-ranked Cowboys' comeback secured their second consecutive regular-season Bedlam sweep before 9,406 at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark. "All we wanted to do was get our offense back to where we were the whole year,” said OSU right fielder Corey Brown. "In the ninth, we kept our heads up and fought back just like we did on Friday.” Except on Friday and Saturday, the Cowboys took control with multiple home runs.

This time, they manufactured a comeback, thanks in part — large part — to Oklahoma. "Disappointing for us,” said OU coach Sunny Golloway. Delirium for the Cowboys, who celebrated on the field like something much more than a Bedlam Bell had been secured. OSU is 34-13 overall and 13-8 in the Big 12. OU dropped its fifth straight conference game to fall to 28-20 and 8-13.

The Sooners took a 7-5 lead off newfound nemesis Jordy Mercer in the top of the ninth, scoring twice off the reliever on a Jackson Williams run-scoring single and Aaron Baker's double down the right-field line. OSU had left the bases loaded in its half of the eighth, wasting opportunities with the big bats failing to produce. Brown tapped a ball to third base that resulted in a force out at home and Rebel Ridling struck out. "I thought all the momentum was in their dugout,” said Cowboys coach Frank Anderson. Just as it did all weekend — the Sooners led in all three games — momentum shifted to the men in orange.

Nich Conaway, who had given OU nearly six innings of strong relief, walked Matt Mangini on a 3-2 pitch to lead off the Cowboys' half of the ninth. Then OU closer Garrett Richards, a freshman, walked Mercer on four pitches. "When we get the leadoff guy on in the bottom of the ninth, then you start to feel the difference right there,” Anderson said. "It doesn't matter how many games you've pitched, if you haven't been in those situations a lot, this thing has to affect you a little bit. The crowd and the stadium and the series. "So then you see some things start to turn a little bit.”

Then it turned in a big way. OSU shortstop Matt Lopez bunted on a 3-2 count. And with Williams calling for the sure out at first, Richards wheeled and fired wild to third base, allowing Mangini and Mercer to score. The Cowboys scored a run in the eighth the same way, when Conaway fired to third and third baseman Jarod Freeman missed the throw.

Steve Ptak ran for Lopez. After Ryan Pittman advanced Ptak to third with a sacrifice bunt, Ty Wright's fly ball to right fell for a game-winning single. "They lay down a bunt. We throw the ball away,” said Golloway. "So they don't get a hit in the ninth inning. They did what they had to. They're going to take pitches if we're not in the strike zone, so I'm not taking anything away from their effort. All I'm saying is we didn't make them earn it.”

John Helsley, Staff Writer. Cowboys cap sweep of Sooners. The Oklahoman. Monday, May 7, 2007.

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