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BYU's Ryker Schow (45) slides into home plate as Oklahoma catcher Scott Mudler prepares to take the throw in a Big 12 baseball game at Miller Park in Provo on Thursday, April 18, 2024.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU's Mason Olson delivers a pitch against Oklahoma in a Big 12 baseball game at Miller Park in Provo on Thursday, April 18, 2024.

Courtesy BYU Photo

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BYU baseball coach Trent Pratt wanted to shake things up a bit for Thursday’s game against Oklahoma Thursday night, moving standout middle reliever Mason Olson into a starting role to try and get off to a better start.

The decision looked like a good one early on, but Olson hurt his arm in the third inning and had to leave the game. Oklahoma eventually touched his replacements for nine runs and the Sooners, tied for first at the top of the Big 12 standings with West Virginia, claimed a 10-8 victory at Miller Park in Provo.

Olson, who came into the game with a 3.03 ERA, gave up one unearned run and struck out two in 2.2 innings of work. Olson was in obvious discomfort after a foul ball by Oklahoma’s Bryce Madron and his next pitch sailed far wide of the plate. The team trainer was brought out and Olson left the game, shouting into his glove in frustration.

“We don’t know anything yet,” Pratt said after the game. “He’ll see the Doc tomorrow and we’ll go from there. My heart just breaks for him, for what he is for our team and how he competes. We’re praying tonight that we’ll get some good news.”

In the fourth, Jaxon Willits hit a bloop single the scored two runs for a 3-0 Sooners lead. Oklahoma added three more runs on three hits in the fifth and led 6-0.

BYU rallied in the bottom of the fifth, starting with shortstop Brock Watkins smashing a solo home run to left center. With two outs, a sinking liner from Luke Anderson evaded the glove of Sooners center fielder Jason Walk and Ryker Schow scored. A double to left from Easton Jones plated Anderson and the Cougars cut the deficit in half at 6-3.

Oklahoma, which averages eight runs a game, put up two more in the seventh for an 8-3 advantage.

BYU added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth. Kahio Aloy sent one run home on a sacrifice fly and Watkins hit an RBI single to make the score 8-5.

A Cougar error led to two more Oklahoma runs in the top of the ninth and the Sooners led 10-5. In the bottom of the inning, BYU’s Collin Rueter smacked a two-out, three-run home run to deep center to trim the Oklahoma lead to 10-8. Cooper Vest popped up to shortstop to end the game.

Lefty Braden Davis went 7 1/3 innings for Oklahoma, striking out 11 (one short of a season high). BYU tied a season high with 15 strikeouts against four Sooners pitchers.

BYU is 0-18 when trailing after eight innings.

“We kept battling and it came down to a couple of plays,” Pratt said. “We allowed them to keep adding on and we couldn’t stop the bleeding. We’ve got to clean things up. We’ve played good defense for so long but not the past couple of games. It’s not like we’re not catching the ball but it’s just little things. We’ve got to find a way to close out a win a close one. We’ve got to find a way to come out on top.”

Easton Carmichael and Michael Snyder had three hits apiece for the Sooners (22-14 overall, 12-4 Big 12). Watkins, Reuter and Jones had two hits each for the Cougars (15-19, 6-13).

Game 2 of the three-game series between the Cougars and the Sooners will be on Friday at 6 p.m. MT.

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