Case, known more for his skills behind the plate, was a load indeed, but this time at the plate, igniting three OSU rallies in an 8-1 Game 2 Bedlam win before a crowd of 7,751 at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.
A senior from Winters, Calif., Case seems to have warmed quite well to Bedlam, bashing Sooner pitching over the past two seasons. This time, Case went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a triple, drove in three runs and scored three.
In seven career games against the Sooners, he’s now 7-for-21 with three doubles, a home run, a triple and five RBIs.
“Honestly, back home, you can’t find an environment like this,” said Case said of the Bedlam atmosphere. “I don’t think any school has this. So coming out here and being a part of it, it’s awesome.
“It gets you fired up to play.”
OSU maintained a virtual tie with TCU atop the Big 12 standings, improving to 14-6 in the conference and 31-14 overall. The Sooners lost for the fifth straight time, falling to 10-7 and 29-21.
Game 3 in the series is set for 4 p.m. Sunday at The Brick, with the Cowboys going for a sweep.
“Tomorrow’s a new day,” said OU’s Craig Aikin. “It could be the start of eight or 10 (wins) in a row. And that’s the way we’re going to approach it.
“We’re going to come out swinging.”
The Sooners struck first against Cowboys ace Michael Freeman, getting a run in the first without the benefit of a hit, using two walks, a stolen base, a wild pitch and a groundout for a 1-0 lead. But just like Friday night in Tulsa, when OU took a 3-0 first-inning lead, the Cowboys responded.
And Case was in the middle of it, following back-to-back singles by Tim Arakawa and Ryan Sluder with his a shot into the gap in left-center field that caromed around long enough for the Cowboys catcher to pull into third with his first triple of the season.
“I didn’t think I was going to have a triple all year long,” said Case, who now has two for his career. “I just about stopped at second base when I saw the ball still rolling around by the wall.”
