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Monday, May 18, 1998

Texas Tech 4, Oklahoma 3

By OWEN CANFIELD / AP Sports Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Josh Bard's two-run homer keyed a three-run first inning that sent Texas Tech on its way to a 4-3 victory over Oklahoma in the Big 12 tournament Sunday.

The victory sent the Red Raiders (42-18) into Sunday night's title game against Texas A&M while eliminating the defending champs (40-18), who wasted a great scoring chance in the eighth.

Oklahoma starter Clint Smith (3-4) lasted only five batters. Keith Ginter started the game with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout.

Brennan Burns then walked and came across on Bard's 16th home run of the season, a shot to right-center. Smith gave up one more hit and was replaced by Paul McCurtain.

McCurtain did a solid job, allowing three hits and one run in 3 2-3 innings. Kyle Denney followed with four innings of one-hit relief, and Brian Manwell and Richard Park worked the ninth.

The Red Raiders scored what proved to be the winning run in the third on back-to-back, two-out doubles by Bard and Kevin Jordan.

Oklahoma scored twice in the second on solo homers by Park and Jose Montenegro, and made the score 4-3 on a sacrifice fly by Brian Shackelford in the sixth.

Another potential Sooner run in that inning was wiped out when Derek Wathan, who singled and stole second, got thrown out at the plate on a base hit by Casey Bookout.

Wathan and Bookout started the eighth with singles and each moved up on a sacrifice bunt. After Shackelford was intentionally walked, Brad Ralston got Montenegro to ground into a 1-2-3 double play.

Cade Allison (3-2) pitched 5 2-3 innings for the victory and Ralston went the rest of the way for his fifth save.