The Oklahoma Sooners entered the final home game of the regular season looking for a win. Splitting the first two games over the weekend with the No. 5 TCU Horned Frogs, Sunday’s meeting would decide the series outcome. As fans poured into the stadium, the offense came alive early providing an early edge. Ultimately, Oklahoma earned a 10-9 walk-off victory on Mother’s Day.
In the bottom of the first inning with two outs and two on, Austin O’Brien cranked out a three run shot over the wall. The swing boosted the volume of the crowd as the Sooners took an early 3-0 lead. However, the offense wasn’t quite done. Up next, Brylie Ware repeated the feat with a solo home run as the crowd once again erupted.
Two innings later, Ware proved that the first homer wasn’t a fluke. With one runner on, the infielder took another ball over the left field wall. In two appearances at the plate on the afternoon, Ware quickly secured three RBIs pushing the lead to 7-0 in the bottom of the third.
With what many would consider a comfortable lead, the defense knew the opposition remained a team capable of scoring runs in a hurry.
Turning around in the fourth, the Horned Frogs scored nine runs over the next three innings to the Sooners two. The effort from both ball clubs brought the score to 9-9 with three frames remaining.
Unable to score in each of the opportunities afford them, Oklahoma found themselves down to three outs in a tied ball game. Ben Hollas provided the spark ripping a double to left center as the lead-off hitter. Opting to put a speedster in, the coaching staff pulled Hollas in favor of Kyler Murray. The move proved to be crucial as a sac-bunt pushed the dual-sport athlete to third with two outs.
A single swing of the bat could win the game and take the series. Electing to walk Steele Walker, the Horned Frogs challenged O’Brien at the plate. Delivering the pitch, O’Brien patiently waited before driving a single into center field allowing Murray to showcase the speed. Crossing home plate, Murray and the rest of the team celebrated in walk-off fashion.
.@StoneyOB33 starts the day w/ a three-run jack and ends it here to walk-off No. 5 TCU and win the series! pic.twitter.com/h9du7TeFhS
— Oklahoma Baseball (@OU_Baseball) May 14, 2017