"We’re really coming together like last year’s team did at this point," Street said, "and I think that’s going to lead us to success."
With the win, UT recorded its third Big 12 series sweep of the season and held on to sole possession of first place in league play. Let’s see: Texas has now swept the Sooners in baseball, in basketball, in women’s hoops, in every sport except…well, let’s not go there.
Simmons (3-4) has struggled to reclaim last season’s All-American form that led to a 16-1 mark, but head coach Augie Garrido said the junior’s seven-inning, six-strikeout performance represented his best outing of the year.
Meanwhile, Sultemeier led the Texas 10-hit performance with a homerun and two RBI hit while Dustin Majewski, Curtis Thigpen and Taylor Teagarden tallied two hits each. In fact, Sultemeier gave UT the early 1-0 lead with his solo shot in the bottom of the first.
The Sooners responded with Ben Pinkerton’s two RBI single in the top of the second, but Texas would knot the score in the home half of the frame after Thigpen was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, advanced to third on a wild pitch and then came home on a safety squeeze from Taylor Teagarden.
After four scoreless innings, the contest took a walk on the wild side in the bottom of the seventh. The frame saw two hits, a hit batter, Sultemeier’s run-scoring sacrifice fly and a wild pitch that scored Tim Moss from third with two down.
But then Oklahoma loaded the bases with one out in the top of the eighth and tied the game at 4-4 on a two-out base hit. The Sooners threatened to spoil the afternoon by placing a runner at third with two retired in the top of the ninth but Street forced a groundout to end the frame.
Trying to salvage not only something of the series but also a season gone woefully awry, Oklahoma placed runners on the corners with one out in the top of the 10th. But Street masterfully fielded a safety squeeze bunt and made a relay to Teagarden to nail Reggie Willits at home.
That’s when Sultemeier, after drawing a leadoff walk, scored the winning run when Quintanilla slapped a one-strike pitch from reliever Jarod McAuliff past a diving Luke Alexander at first base. Texas has now won 14 of the last 17 meetings against its rival, posting its third-consecutive series sweep against the Sooners in Austin.
Texas hosts UT-San Antonio 6:30 p.m., Tuesday at the Disch before its pivotal weekend series at No. 8 Nebraska.