No. 9 Oklahoma found itself in an early hole and, despite a strong late-inning push, couldn’t complete the comeback, falling 8-6 to No. 12 Alabama in Sunday’s series finale at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. The loss handed the Sooners their first SEC series defeat of the season.
After trailing 8-1 through four innings, Oklahoma (22-5, 5-4 SEC) battled back with five unanswered runs but was ultimately unable to bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth. Alabama (25-4, 6-3 SEC) capitalized on early offensive opportunities and fended off the Sooners’ rally to secure the series victory.
The Sooners got off to a promising start in the first inning. Sophomore Jaxon Willits drove in a run with an RBI single through the right side after Jason Walk and Trey Gambill worked back-to-back walks. However, Alabama quickly erased the deficit with a three-run home run from Jason Torres in the bottom half of the inning.
The Crimson Tide continued adding on, plating a run in both the second and third innings. A double-play groundout in the second brought in a run, while Will Hodo’s solo homer in the third extended Alabama’s advantage to 5-1.
Things unraveled further for Oklahoma in the fourth, as three unearned runs widened the gap. With the bases loaded, an RBI groundout made it 6-1 before a costly two-run error allowed Alabama to push its lead to 8-1.
The Sooners finally gained momentum in the fifth when Walk raced around the bases for an inside-the-park home run, marking his fourth long ball of the season and OU’s second inside-the-park homer of the year.
Oklahoma continued to chip away at the deficit in the seventh. A fielder’s choice brought home one run, and an RBI single from senior Brayden Horton pulled the Sooners within four at 8-4. The rally intensified in the eighth, as junior Dayton Tockey launched a two-run homer to right field, slicing Alabama’s lead to just two runs at 8-6.
However, the ninth inning proved to be uneventful for the Sooners, as Alabama’s Carson Ozmer needed just nine pitches to retire the side in order and clinch the Tide’s 25th win of the season.
OU starting right-hander Malachi Witherspoon (2-2) took the loss after surrendering five earned runs on seven hits over five innings. Despite the rough start, the Sooners’ bullpen kept them in the game, as Michael Catalano, James Hitt, and Reid Hensley combined for four scoreless frames. Catalano and Hitt each recorded a strikeout in their relief appearances.
At the plate, Oklahoma was led by multi-hit performances from Willits and Sam Christiansen, while Tockey’s eighth-inning homer gave him a team-high two RBIs on the day.
Alabama’s offense was fueled by multiple contributors, including Bryce Fowler, who finished 2-for-3 with two doubles and two runs scored. Hodo added a solo homer, while Torres’ three-run blast set the tone early for the Crimson Tide. Aeden Finateri (1-0) picked up his first win of the season, holding Oklahoma to two runs over 4.2 innings. Ozmer recorded his seventh save with a flawless ninth inning.
Oklahoma now looks to regroup before heading to Frisco, Texas, for a neutral-site showdown against Texas Tech on Tuesday night. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. CT at Riders Field, with the game available via pay-per-view on Peak Events.
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