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Oklahoma needed a huge offensive inning to do it, but the Sooners finished off a tough series sweep of Sam Houston on Sunday.
OU scored seven runs in the fourth to rally from a four-run deficit and beat the Bearkats 9-7 in their seven-inning nightcap of a doubleheader at L. Dale Mitchell Park.
"That was a big win for us right there, because it just shows them that they can do it when they play with the passion," OU coach Skip Johnson said on the postgame radio show. "You know, that's why I told the coaches at the end, that's a big win, because we came back. We know we can come back now."
No. 12-ranked OU improved to 14-1, while Sam Houston fell to 3-12.
Oklahoma took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Trey Gambill walked, stole second and third and scored on Jaxon Willits’ sacrifice fly to center field.
The Bearkats tied it in the next frame as OU starter Malachi Witherspoon allowed a walk to Jace Martinez and a single by Brady Christensen that sent Martinez to third. Martinez then came home on a wild pitch from Witherspoon to make it 1-1.
Sam Houston jumped in front on back-to-back sac flies by Hunter Autrey and Ryan Brandon to score Easton Dean and Parker Blackman, respectively.
The damage continued as Sam Houston scored two more in the fourth.
After Witherspoon got two quick strikeouts, he plunked Addison Smith, and Dean followed with a two-run home run down the right field line to put the Bearkats up 5-1.
Witherspoon went just 3 2/3 innings and gave up five earned runs on four walks and five hits.
The Sooners launched their decisive rally in the fourth as seven consecutive batters reached on five hits and two walks — part of 12 batters coming to the plate in the inning.
Kyle Branch drew a one-out walk, and Drew Dickerson flared a single to right-center field as Branch hustled to third. Scott Mudler then beat out an infield single to first for an RBI that scored Branch and cut it to 5-2.
After a pitching change, Dawson Willis ripped a double to left to score Dickerson, and Jason Walk singled through the right side to score Mudler and Willis and tie it up at 5-5.
Following another Gambill walk, Easton Carmichael’s sharp single through the right side scored Walk to put the Sooners up 6-5.
Martinez dropped Willits’ hard shot at shortstop but still got the out, allowing Gambill to score for a 7-5 lead, and Sam Christiansen’s single up the middle plated Carmichael for an 8-5 Oklahoma lead.
The seven runs matched Oklahoma's season high for a single inning this year.
Gavyn Jones relieved Witherspoon and got out of trouble in the fourth, then pitched around a pair of singles in the fifth.
Jason Bodin came in to work the sixth for OU, but that move nearly imploded as Sam Houston rallied again.
Smith started with a single, and after Bodin got a strikeout and a groundout, Autrey and Franden singled as Smith scored to cut it to 8-6.
Then, as Franden stole second base, it appeared Autrey would be caught in a rundown between third and home, but he scored when Willis’ throw hit him in the back, making it 8-7.
But with runners on first and third, OU’s Christiansen caught a deep fly ball by SH’s Christensen’s at the base of the right field wall to end the rally.
In the bottom of the sixth, Carmichael hammered a 2-1 pitch for a long home run to left to extend the Sooners’ lead to 9-7. It was his team-leading fifth homer and 17th RBI of the season.
"Any time you can get offense rolling like we did is huge, especially going into a big week coming forward," Carmichael said on the postgame radio show. "But it's one of those that we knew it was bound to happen. It's just a matter of time."
In the top of the seventh, Dylan Crooks gave up a single but then logged a fly ball and two strikeouts to end it.
Carmichael was 3-for-3 with two RBIs, Walk was 1-for-4 with two RBIs and Willits had two RBIs without a hit. Dickerson went 2-for-3 at the plate.
It’s been a memorable start to the season for Johnson’s squad, but now the stakes are turned up as Southeastern Conference play begins next weekend.
After hosting Louisiana Tech (9-7) on Wednesday night, the Sooners hit the road to open SEC play at South Carolina. The Gamecocks (14-3) are currently unranked but the SEC features teams ranked No. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 12, 14, 17, 18 and 19 in this week’s USA Today Coaches’ Top 25.
South Carolina won back-to-back national championships in 2010 and 2011 and was CWS runner-up in 2002 and 2012, but has failed to win 40 games in seven of their last nine full seasons while making five NCAA Tournaments in the last 10 years.
"Yeah, it's going to be a blast," Carmichael said, "especially going to Columbia."
The Sooners will play an SEC series each of the next 10 weekends.
More must-reads:
- Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan leaves behind a complicated legacy
- Five potential landing spots for Christian Wilkins after stunning Raiders release
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Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan leaves behind a complicated legacy
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