In a tightly contested battle, No. 9 Oklahoma evened its weekend series with No. 12 Alabama, edging out a 6-5 victory at Sewell-Thomas Stadium on Saturday afternoon. A late push by the Crimson Tide in the ninth inning nearly forced extras, but Sooners closer Dylan Crooks shut the door with a clutch strikeout, stranding the potential tying and winning runs in scoring position.
The Sooners (21-6, 6-2 SEC) jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, manufacturing runs in each of the first three innings. Junior Dayton Tockey got things started with a first-inning RBI single, bringing home Trey Gambill, who had extended his hitting streak to eight games with a base hit. In the second inning, redshirt sophomore Sam Christiansen provided a spark with a leadoff solo home run, his fourth of the season, to extend the lead to 2-0. The offensive momentum continued in the third, as sophomore Jaxon Willits lifted a sacrifice fly to bring in another run, giving OU a comfortable 3-0 cushion.
Alabama (24-4, 5-3 SEC) didn’t stay quiet for long, however. The Crimson Tide began chipping away at the deficit in the third when leadoff hitter Richie Bonomolo Jr. launched a solo home run to left field, cutting the Sooners’ lead to 3-1. One inning later, Alabama struck again with an RBI single from Garrett Staton, bringing the score to 3-2.
Sooner left-hander Cade Crossland turned in one of his best performances of the season, working six strong innings and allowing just two runs on six hits while striking out a season-high seven batters. His ability to escape trouble helped Oklahoma maintain the narrow lead heading into the late innings.
The game saw its biggest shift in the seventh inning when both teams added runs. Oklahoma’s offense reignited when junior Dawson Willis led off with a walk and advanced to second on a deep flyout. Two batters later, sophomore Jason Walk delivered a clutch RBI single up the middle, pushing the Sooners’ lead to 4-2. But Alabama responded immediately in the bottom half of the frame. A leadoff hit-by-pitch put pressure on the Sooners’ bullpen, and an infield error allowed the Tide to capitalize. A groundout scored one, and another defensive miscue helped Alabama tie the game at 4-4.
With the contest deadlocked entering the ninth, Oklahoma showed resilience in crunch time. Christiansen and Willis ignited the rally with back-to-back singles, setting the table for Gambill. The junior outfielder lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, putting the Sooners back on top 5-4. Moments later, junior Easton Carmichael laced an RBI single through the left side, giving OU a crucial insurance run. The Sooners nearly tacked on another, but Walk was thrown out at the plate on a bang-bang play that was upheld upon review.
The Crimson Tide did not go down without a fight in the bottom of the ninth. Pinch-hitter Coleman Mizell worked a leadoff walk, and Bryce Fowler followed with a single to center. After Justin Lebron battled through an extended at-bat to draw a one-out walk, Alabama had the bases loaded and the game-winning run in scoring position. The Tide managed to cut the lead to one on a groundout, but with two runners in scoring position and the game hanging in the balance, Crooks delivered his biggest pitch of the season—a perfectly placed fastball on the inside corner for a called third strike, sealing the 6-5 victory.
Crooks earned his SEC-leading eighth save of the season with the dramatic finish, while reliever Reid Hensley (3-0) picked up his third win after delivering a scoreless eighth inning.
At the plate, Carmichael, Christiansen, and Gambill each recorded multi-hit performances, while all six of OU’s RBIs came from different hitters. The Sooners continued their impressive power display, hitting a home run for the fifth consecutive game and in 13 of their last 14 contests.
Postgame, Oklahoma head coach Skip Johnson praised his team’s ability to respond under pressure. “This was a really hard-fought win,” Johnson said. “We knew Alabama would keep coming at us, but I loved the way our guys kept battling and found ways to execute when it mattered most. That ninth inning showed a lot about our character.”
The series finale is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. CT, with both teams looking to secure the series win. The game will be streamed on SECN+, with radio coverage available on 99.3 FM/1400 AM The REF and nationwide via The Varsity Network app.
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