NORMAN, Okla. – The Columbia baseball team dropped two games at Oklahoma, giving the Sooners a four-game sweep. The Lions (0-4) will head west next weekend for a four-game series at Cal Poly. The opener is slated for Friday, March 8 at 9 p.m. eastern time.

Julian Bury had two hits in each game and Nick Tanner went 2-for-4 in his first game with Columbia in the nightcap.

Oklahoma scored in the bottom of the first in both contests and all four contests, but had to come back from down 2-1 in the finale.

GAME ONE
 
Columbia had some opportunities offensively, but Oklahoma's Levi Prater, a left handed pitcher, used a strong pick-off move to eliminate baserunners in the first and third innings. In the fifth, the Sooners gunned down Matt Cerfolio trying to stretch a triple into a double for the first out of the frame to thwart another potential rally.
 
The Lions trailed just 2-0 heading into the top of the sixth until Oklahoma broke the game open with four runs in the sixth.
 
Julian Bury went 2-for-3 in the game. Starting pitcher Ben Wereski allowed two runs over four innings and fanned four, but took the loss.
 
Wereski issued a pair of walks and a base hit from Justin Mitchell loaded the bases with one out. On the first pitch to the next batter, a balk was called to give the Sooners the lead in the first inning for the third straight time in the series. Wereski buckled down to strand the other two runners via line out and strikeout to keep it 1-0.
 
Oklahoma added an insurance run in the third when Diego Muniz drew a base on balls and scored all the way from first on a hit-and-run play after Tanner Treadaway double down the rightfield line. Cade Cavalli knocked in Tyler Hardman, who notched a one-out single in the fifth, to make it 3-0.
 
Six straight batters reached to start the bottom of the sixth and four different players drove in runs. Tredaway drove in his second run of the game with a triple and Brandon Zaragoza followed with a single in the seventh to put the finishing touches on the win.
 
Prater allowed just four hits and struck out a pair over six frames to move to 2-1 on the year. Tredaway was 3-for-4 and Justin Mitchell went 3-for-5 in the victory.
 
GAME TWO
 
The Sooners continued to put the pressure on early, using a leadoff walk, a sacrifice and a ground out to the right side put a runner on third for Tyler Hardman, who chopped a ball to the hole between third and short for an infield single to drive in the first run of the contest.
 
Columbia put the go-ahead run in scoring position after an error put Liam McGill aboard and Julian Bury doubled to put runners on second and third with one away. However, Ben Abram buckled down to get a strikeout and foul pop up to the catcher to retire the side.
 
After stranding a runner in each of the first three innings, the Lions finally broke through in the fourth to take their first lead of the series. Bury and Tanner each singled with two outs and AJ DiFillipo gave Columbia a 2-1 lead with a triple off the wall in right-center.
 
First-year Sean Higgins worked a clean bottom of the fourth, but the Sooners regained the lead in the fifth with a pair of runs. Oklahoma loaded the bases with a pair of walks and a hit batter and Brandon Zaragoza knocked in a pair with a single through the left side.
 
Walks continued to hurt the Lions in the sixth when Tredaway took ball four and stole second base. Brady Lindsly posted a base hit to make it 4-2 and Jordan Vujovich ripped a two-bagger to push the lead to three. With a runner on third, a wild pitch gave the Sooners even more breathing room.
 
Columbia put two on in the top of the seventh on Tanner's second hit and a Joshua Solomon walk as they attempted to creep closer. However, a force play and a Wyatt Olds punch-out kept the Lions off the board. Oklahoma's bullpen retired the final six batters in order to complete the contest.
 
Tim Post struck out a pair in a scoreless inning of relief. Higgins last 4.1, allowing three runs on three hits. He struck out one and walked three.
 
For the Sooners, Lindsly was 2-for-3 with a pair of runs to pace the attack. Ben Abram earned the victory (3-0) after six innings of two-run ball with seven strikeouts.