Laidig’s slam not enough as Leathernecks drop finale at No. 16 Oklahoma - The Official Athletics Site of the Western Illinois University Leathernecks

Laidig’s slam not enough as Leathernecks drop finale at No. 16 Oklahoma

Courtesy: Brock Wissmiller

Release: 02/22/2009

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Western Illinois at No. 16 Oklahoma Postgame (February 22, 2009)

Drew Laidig went 2-for-5 with a Grand Slam in addition to working two scorless innings on the hill.

Courtesy: Brock Wissmiller/Western Illinois Athletics

Drew Laidig went 2-for-5 with a Grand Slam in addition to working two scorless innings on the hill.

NORMAN, Okla. - A second-inning grand slam by Drew Laidig was not enough as the Western Illinois baseball team was overpowered by No. 16 Oklahoma, 21-9, in the series finale.

Cole Waddell led off the game for the Leathernecks (0-4) with a double to right center. A bases loaded walk to Darren Spicer allowed Western to strike first for the second-straight game, taking a 1-0 lead.

As they have done all weekend, the Sooners (4-0) immediately struck back. Leadoff hitter Jamie Johnson took the second pitch he saw out to center for a home run to tie the game, 1-1. Four more hits would lead to an additional three runs crossing the plate for a 4-1 score after one.

In the top of the second, the Leathernecks found themselves in a familiar spot with the bags packed. Laidig took a 1-1 offering to right field that cleared the wall for a Grand Slam, his first homer of the year, to give the lead back to Western, 5-4.

Once again it was OU providing a quick answer with two runs in the second and another two in the third and fourth to build their lead to 10-5.

Tyler Metcalf continued his hitting streak, which now stands at 12 games, with a two-out double off the wall in left. He would score on a close play at the plate when Jared Wolf followed with a single to right, making it 10-6.

Four runs was as close as Western could get in the finale as the Sooner’s plated eight runs in the fifth to build an 18-5 advantage.

Shaking things up on the hill, Laidig moved to the rubber from third base and managed to work a pair of scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh, the only one’s of the afternoon for the pitching staff.

In the top of the eighth, Laidig nearly added another homer to his day with a double off the wall in left, which put Waddell at third after he walked on four-straight pitches to leadoff the inning. Ryan Jordan then drew a walk to load the bases and Spicer flirted with a grand slam in the deepest part of the park, but had to settle for a bases clearing double off the top of the wall in center.

Three more runs crossed the plate in the eighth for Oklahoma to bring the final to 21-9.

In just his second career at-bat for Western, Curt Myers doubled down the right field line in the top of the ninth inning with two-away.

“We’re going to score runs but our problem is that we’ve got to prevent runs,” said head coach Stan Hyman. “Our pitching was extremely poor today. There are no excuses that I can come up with. When Drew Laidig, who is going to pitch for us, our positional player is the only guy who goes out and throws two goose eggs innings, something is not right. We will correct the situation.”

The Leatherneck offense produced their highest hit total of the weekend with 13 while the Sooners did the same with 24 hits. OU finished the weekend by out-hitting Western 60-35.

Season play continues for the Leathernecks at No. 22 Arkansas with a three-game weekend set, beginning Friday, February 27, at 3:05 p.m.


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