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Thursday - May 27, 2010

Big 12 Tournament, Day 1

The Big 12 tournament format splits the 8 teams up into two 4-team pools that each play a round-robin tournament. The winners of the two mini-tournaments then face each other on Sunday in a Championship winner-take-all game. The first pool is made up of the #1, #4, #5, and #8 seeds...Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Missouri. The second pool pits the #2, #3, #6, and #7 seeds (Oklahoma, Kansas State, Baylor, and Kansas) against each other. Nebraska and Oklahoma State failed to make the tournament this year.

Texas A&M took care of business in the first game of the day, beating Texas Tech 9-2. The Aggie starter (Michael Wacha) had a perfect game going into the 6th when he gave up a solo shot to Bonham Hough. The Raiders scored another run in the 7th but that was all she wrote as the Aggies scored runs in the 1st, 4th, 6th, and 7th.

Texas, alas, did not take care of business, losing to Mizzou 3-7. It's hard to beat a team 5 times in a season. Very hard. And, as I said in my game report, the Tigers are fighting for their post-season lives. They have to win the tournament to go on. The first step on that road was a win over Texas. Now the Horns have to win their next two and hope Mizzou loses one in order to move on to the Championship game on Sunday.

The 2nd pool of games were supposed to be played at 4 and 7:30. I think the Baylor/K-State game started pretty much on time but was called in the 2nd inning due to heavy rain. The rain delay lasted about 3 hours. I went out to listen to some music this evening so missed most of the Baylor game...including the rain delay. Baylor was ahead 5-1 when play was stopped. After they delay, they scored another quick 3 runs but then let K-State tie the game, giving up a run in the 4th and a 6-spot in the 5th. But the Bears scored single runs in the 6th, 7th, and 8th to go on to win the game 11-8.

The final game of the day between OU and Kansas didn't get started until about 10:40 pm. Wow. I watched most of the game. The picture seemed better than it had been earlier but the audio was awful. Worse than old-time AM radio broadcasts. Kansas struck first with a run in the second scored off a lead-off walk, a wild pitch, and a throwing error. The Sooners tied things up in the bottom of the 5th...also with the aid of a wild pitch and error. Things that make you go hmmm... Midnight struck just as the 6th inning started. The Jayhawks answered that 5th-inning OU run in the 6th (OU hit the first batter and he went on to score). The lead-off batter for K-State hit a double in the top of the 9th but the Sooners got out of trouble with a double play keeping the difference to 1 run going into the bottom of the 9th...at 1 am. Lead-off batter for the Sooners singled. Oh my. A sac bunt moved the tying run (pinch runner) to 2b...and then the runner stole 3b on ball 4 to the next batter. Runners at the corners. 1 out. A double to cf ends the game as both runners score. The ball went over the center fielder and he had a tough time picking the ball up at the bottom of the wall. Sooners win 2-1 at 1:15 am. I think they said that OU won all four of their games against K-State this season on come-from-behind 9th-inning rallies. If that's so? Wow.

What a long day. 'Reminds me of the time I went to the Big 12 Tourney held at the Ballpark...'think it was the first time it was held there. The first day of play lasted 'til well past midnight...without any rain delays. 'Seems like the first game went 13 innings and then the next 10 or 11. 'Just kept pushing everything back. Whew.

Pool 1 plays two games tomorrow. Texas plays in the early game...first pitch at 3 o'clock.

Posted by Joanna at 1:22 AM