Oklahoma City overwhelms Round Rock
The Oklahoma City Dodgers had 19 hits in a 19-1 victory over the Round Rock Express in Oklahoma on Wednesday night.
The Dodgers scored nine runs in the third inning and then seven more in the fifth to grab a strong foothold in the contest.
Five members of the Oklahoma City squad had at least two RBIs. Andrew Toles led the way, going 4-for-5 with two runs scored, a double and five RBIs. Donovan Solano went 3-for-4 with a run scored and three RBIs. Rocky Gale also drove in three runs while going 1-for-4 with two runs scored and a home run.
The Express (1-6) got their only run in the fourth after trailing 10-0. Even then, the Express relied on a wild pitch from Walker Buehler to score a run.
Round Rock managed just five hits against the Dodgers pitching staff. Buehler earned the win, allowing just one run on four hits through five innings. He struck out six and walked just one batter.
Adrian Sampson was hit with the loss as he gave up seven runs on seven hits through just 2⅔ innings of his start.
Paolo Espino didn’t fare better in relief for Round Rock as he allowed seven runs on six hits in 1⅓ innings.
There are seven Longhorns who pitched for Johnson. Sawyer said he received a congratulatory message from his old coach earlier this season when he returned from a two-year injury-riddled hiatus. On Monday, Johnson exchanged pleasantries with some of his former players at the memorial service for Garrido.
“He instilled that bulldog mentality in me,” said junior Chase Shugart, who’s expected to start Saturday’s game. “These past two years with the new coaching staff, they’ve done the same thing. Both coaches really understand my personality and my competitiveness, and they’ve really helped me excel in what I want to do.”
Last year — Texas’ first without Johnson — the Longhorns’ 3.15 team ERA ranked ninth nationally. Six UT pitchers were selected in the MLB draft. This year, however, Texas has slumped to a 4.38 ERA in what has been a roller-coaster season. The Longhorns have produced four shutouts this year (they had five at this point last season), and both Nolan Kingham and Blair Henley have earned Big 12 pitcher of the week awards. But on the other hand, Tuesday’s loss at A&M was the 17th time this season that UT has allowed at least five runs.
Last weekend, Texas swept Baylor and got quality outings from Shugart and Henley. Kingham, the staff’s ace, lasted only two innings in his start — his second such outing in as many weeks — but both Shugart and UT coach David Pierce raved to reporters this week about his bullpen ses- sion on Tuesday.
“I’m still trying to beat them in what they do, and they’re going to try to beat me in what I do,” Shugart said. “Instilling that inner competition between us has really helped us out.”
Pierce, aided by assistant coach Phil Haig,has called most of UT’s pitchesthis season. But heceded control to Shugart in last Saturday’s 2-0 win over Baylor. Shugart allowed five hits and five walks over seven innings while throwing a career-high 120 pitches.
Pierce noted his pitchers have the freedom to shake off his sign if they feel comfortable with another pitch. Pierce took responsibility for the slew of sliders that relief pitcher Bryce Elder threw to A&M’s Hunter Coleman, one of which was driven to left field for the game-deciding hit. Elder later asked Pierce why he didn’t call for an inside fastball against the Aggies’ cleanup hitter.
“That was a great question, and that’s what I asked him right back,” Pierce retorted. “I’m going to your strength versus this situation. If you make the pitch in my mind, he’s out; but you didn’t have that in your mind. If you go fastball in and you freeze him, you win. If you go fastball in with conviction and he hits it out of the ballpark, I’m not going to say a word.”
Oklahoma leads the Big 12 with its 3.25 ERA, which ranks 28th nationally (Texas ranks 118th). The Sooners are hitting .284. Wednesday’s whacking of Oral Roberts marked the 10th time the Sooners have scored double-digit runs.