THE RUNDOWN
DBU dropped an 8-7 decision to the Oklahoma Sooners Tuesday afternoon at L. Dale Mitchell Park in Norman, Oklahoma. A seven-run fifth inning handed the Sooners (6-5) a commanding lead before a grand slam from George Specht sparked a Patriots rally that fell just short as the game-tying run was stranded at third base to end the game. Oklahoma outhit DBU 10-6 on the day, and the 10 Patriots left on base proved costly. DBU (6-6) concludes its four-game road trip and returns to Horner Ballpark to host Southern Mississippi in a weekend series. 

Luke Heefner started the action with the first extra-base hit of his collegiate career in the top of the third.  The freshman lined the first pitch of his at-bat to right field for a triple that scored Nathan Rombach and gave the Patriots a 1-0 lead.  

Oklahoma made its move in the fifth inning, blasting DBU for seven runs on five hits against three different pitchers. Following a leadoff walk, four straight hits put the Sooners out in front. The damage escalated with a free pass, a hit batter, and a two-run single that buried the Patriots under a 7-1 deficit. 

But with a single swing of the bat, George Specht breathed new life into the DBU dugout when he belted a grand slam over the wall in left field. Specht made his trip around the bases alongside Jace Grady, Blayne Jones, and Cole Moore, who made OU's Braden Carmichael pay for issuing three walks on the first four batters he faced.  

DBU trimmed another run off the Oklahoma lead in the top of the seventh inning. Miguel Santos got in on the action when he drilled a single into right field that scored Jace Grady to make it a 7-6 contest. Following an RBI single from OU's Cade Horton in the bottom of the frame, DBU punched right back with a Luke Heefner ground out that scored Andrew Benefield. 

Trailing 9-8 with one away in the ninth, Santos doubled off the left-field wall to place himself in scoring position as the game-tying run. He would advance to third as George Specht reached on a fielding error, and Nathan Humphreys drew a walk to load the bases. But Jaret Godman would punch out Nate Rombach to earn the save. 

Freshman Ryan Johnson made the first start of his career. The freshman worked 2.0 scoreless innings on two hits. Trevin Michael got the baseball for Oklahoma and carved 10 punchouts while allowing a single hit en route to his first win in a Sooner uniform. 

THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
-DBU finishes its four-game road trip with a 2-2 record. 
-With his fourth home run, George Specht ties Cole Moore and Nate Rombach for the team lead. 
-Luke Heefner extends his hit streak to seven games. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 
4 - DBU had four hits go for extra bases. 
11 - George Specht now ranks second on the team with 11 RBI.
3 - Jace Grady drew a game-high three walks. In total, DBU forced 10 free passes. 

ON DECK
On Friday, the Patriots return to Horner Ballpark to begin a three-game series against Southern Mississippi.