OU Baseball: Oklahoma Loses to LSU Again; Falls to 5-6 in SEC Play

The Southeastern Conference has won the last five college baseball national championships, and owns six of the last seven and 10 of the last 15. LSU won the College World Series just two years ago — two years after the Sooners finished as the national runner-up. 

That accumulation of talent — whether on the mound or in the batter’s box — has manifested in the first two games this weekend at L. Dale Mitchell Park, as the Tigers prevailed 2-0 Thursday and then cruised on Friday.

LSU’s batters came into this series leading the SEC in average (.333), and their pitchers were pacing the conference in strikeouts (352).

But it’s hardly just LSU that rules the SEC roost, or last week’s foe, Alabama. OU came into Friday ranked No. 9 nationally in the coaches poll, but was actually 10th in the SEC standings. In the RPI, OU was No. 9 nationally but only No. 6 in the conference (and came into the weekend ahead of LSU).

OU coach Skip Johnson rolled out seven pitchers, and LSU’s loaded lineup got to most of them — including starter Cade Crossland early, with four runs in the second inning.

Two runs scored on Chris Stanfield’s double to put the Tigers up 2-0, and Stanfield came home on Derek Curiel’s double for a 3-0 lead. Jared Jones made it 4-0 when Jones hit a bloop single to right to plate Curiel.

The Sooners cut their deficit in half with a pair of unearned runs in the third. Trey Gambill singled to drive in Dasan Harris to make it 4-1, and Jaxon Willits ripped a double over the right fielder’s head that sent Gambill home and cut it to 4-2.

Crossland settled in and avoided more trouble until the sixth inning, when Josh Pearson smashed a solo home run to right center for a 5-2 lead.

After Kade Anderson twirled a complete game shutout in Thursday night’s opener, LSU starter Anthony Eyanson was in control for most of Friday. He threw 5 2/3 innings and struck out eight while walking four and allowing three hits. Both of the Sooners’ runs against him were unearned.

OU put runners at first and second with two out in the sixth after Dayton Tockey walked (that ended Eyanson’s evening) and Dawson Willis beat out an infield single, but LSU reliever Casan Evans quashed that potential rally when he struck out Harris.

LSU added to the lead with a run in the seventh. After Michael Catalano replaced Beau Sampson, Jones and Daniel Dickinson delivered back-to-back singles to start the inning, and after Catalano got a strikeout, Steven Milam grounded to third base — but Tockey overran first base at the end of a potential double play, allowing Jones to come home for a 6-2 lead.

The Tigers made it 7-2 in the top of the ninth when Dickinson mashed a leadoff home run to left off Jackson Kircher, and after freshman Brandon Cain relieved Kircher, Pearson hit his second homer of the night for an 8-2 lead.

After a pair of singles, Stanfield continued Cain’s misery with a double under Harris’ glove in left field, scoring two more runs and putting LSU up 10-2. 

Willis' deep fly ball to right was dropped to start the bottom of the ninth, putting Willis at third base, but Evans struck out the side to end it.

The final game of the series gets started Saturday at 2 p.m., as the Sooners will be trying to avoid being swept.