Oklahoma rallies past No. 3 Texas for 8-6 win

Max Grubbs wasn’t able to hang on late and the Horns couldn’t mount a rally in the ninth inning.

The No. 3 Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners will play a decisive Saturday game to determine the series after an 8-6 victory by the Sooners in front of a record crowd at L. Dale Mitchell Park on Friday that saw Oklahoma score three decisive runs in the eighth inning.

The Longhorns responded to a 5-1 lead by the Sooners by scoring five runs in the fifth inning to take the lead, but junior right-hander Max Grubbs wasn’t able hold onto it in the eighth, suffering his first loss of the season.

In the ninth, Texas tried to rally, loading the bases with two singles and a hit by pitch, but pinch hitter Jonah Williams lofted a routine fly ball to left field on a 3-2 pitch to end the game in defeat.

Texas junior right-hander Ruger Riojas struggled for a third straight start, allowing seven runs, five earned, in 3.1 innings, on seven hits with two walks and a wild pitch.

Of the 38 runs given up by the UTSA transfer this season, 20 have come in the 7.1 innings he’s lasted over those three starts, spiking his ERA from 2.98 to 5.25.

After Riojas gave up a solo home run in the second inning and a run on a wild pitch in the third, a defensive meltdown fueled the three-run fourth inning for the Sooners — junior shortstop Jalin Flores opened the inning with a throwing error, Riojas had a throwing error of his own on a sacrifice bunt before Texas allowed a stolen base, bunt single, two fielder’s choices and another single. The three runs forced Riojas from the game in favor of redshirt sophomore left-hander Ethan Walker.

Competitive at bats helped the Longhorns take the lead in the fifth inning. Two walks opened the inning and sophomore second baseman Ethan Mendoza singled in a run before junior catcher Rylan Galvan smashed a two-run double and scored on a triple by Flores, and freshman designated hitter Adrian Rodriguez singled to drive in the final run of the inning.

With freshman left-hander Dylan Volantis unavailable to close the game after needing 47 pitches to get through two innings on Thursday, Texas needed some length from Grubbs after Walker got six important outs.

Grubbs struck out the first four batters he faced in retiring five consecutive hitters after entering the game, but got into trouble in the eighth when he gave up a leadoff double. After a sacrifice bunt, a single on a full-count pitch tied the game before a flat pitch from Grubbs turned into the go-ahead two-run home run by Oklahoma third baseman Dawson Willis.

Texas and Oklahoma close the regular season on Saturday at 2 p.m. Central on SEC Network+.