OU Baseball: Oklahoma Drops Doubleheader, Series to Texas

The Longhorns broke out the long ball on Sooners pitching to give OU just its third series loss of the season.

Oklahoma coach Skip Johnson / Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

BY OU Media Relations

NORMAN — No. 18 Oklahoma dropped both games of a marathon doubleheader to Texas Sunday at L. Dale Mitchell Park. 

With weather pushing back Saturday’s contest to a Sunday twinbill, Texas beat Oklahoma 8-6 in Game 1 before a bizarre Game 2 finish that saw the Horns win 12-10 in seven innings due to weather.

“It’s an unfortunate way for the series to end that way between two competitive baseball teams fighting for the top of the conference,” said OU head coach Skip Johnson. “It’s never what you want, to have a game not decided on the field.”

Texas (27-18, 13-8) claimed the series with the two wins on Sunday after the Sooners took the first game of the series Friday night, 9-4. It marked OU’s first series loss in three weeks and just the Sooners’ third conference series loss of the season. 

The Sooners (26-16, 15-6) remain atop the Big 12 standings by one game over Oklahoma State and West Virginia. 

GAME ONE (TEXAS 8, OU 6)

Oklahoma lost the first game of the doubleheader, 8-6. It was OU’s first loss since April 7, snapping a nine-game win streak and seven-game conference run. 

The Horns jumped on top at the top of the first on a RBI double from Jalin Flores before OU answered in the home half with two runs to take the lead. Following a leadoff walk drawn by junior John Spikerman who made his way to third on a wild pitch and groundout, sophomore Easton Carmichael singled him in for OU’s first run. After a single from senior Michael Snyder, OU initiated a double steal at first and third, with Carmichael racing home to put OU up 2-1 after one. 

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Following a scoreless second, a combined five runs were put up in the third. The Longhorns scored three in the top half on a wild pitch and two-run single. The Sooners answered with a pair off the bat of senior Anthony Mackenzie, lacing a two-run double to left center. 

In the fifth, Mackenzie provided more offense for OU with an RBI single to right to push OU back in front, 5-4. 

Texas retook the lead with a three-run sixth inning on a pair of home runs and bases-loaded walk. The Longhorns made it four unanswered with another RBI double from Flores at the top of the eighth. 

OU scored one in the ninth on an RBI single from Carmichael after a double from Spikerman to bring the final to 8-6. 

At the plate, Carmichael, Snyder and Mackenzie all registered multi-hit games, going 2-for-4. Mackenzie brought in a trio and Carmichael plated a pair to pace OU. 

On the mound, starting RHP Kyson Witherspoon (L, 4-3) took his third loss of the season, going 5.1 innings and surrendering five runs on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Relievers Carter Campbell, Reid Hensley, Dylan Crooks and Jace Miner all saw action out of the pen with Campbell and Crooks striking out one each. 

 

GAME TWO (TEXAS 12, OU 10)

In a high-scoring second game of the day, Texas outlasted the Sooners in a game that featured a combined 22 runs and 28 hits, including eight home runs. Runs crossed in all but one inning. 

Texas jumped out to a two-run lead on a two-run home run from Peyton Powell at the top of the first. OU answered with an RBI double from Carmichael in the home half. 

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Another pair of two-run home runs in the second and third pushed the Texas lead to five before OU answered with four runs, all coming with two outs, at the bottom of the third. An RBI triple from junior Jackson Nicklaus started the flurry, followed by a run-scoring single from senior Kendall Pettis. The next at-bat, freshman Jaxon Willits went yard for the seventh time of the season, hitting a two-run opposite field home run to pull OU within one after three. 

For the only inning of the game, no runs were scored in the fourth. Each team put up two in the fifth on two-run home runs. UT’s Max Belyeu  hit his second of the game before OU’s Nicklaus blasted his eighth of the season and first since April 6 on a shot to right field. 

In the sixth, Texas added another two-run home run and RBI double to push the lead to four. OU’s Mackenzie answered with an RBI single to center to bring OU within three again. 

In what would be the final inning, Texas hit a solo home run in the top half before the Sooners pushed across a pair on a sacrifice fly from freshman Jason Walk and RBI single from Spikerman. 

The game entered a weather delay at the top of the eighth for an hour and 17 minutes before the game was called. Per NCAA rules, the game goes final after the last completed inning.

In Game 2, Willits paced OU with a 3-for-4 performance with two RBI and one homer. Five Sooners recorded multi-hit games with Nicklaus leading OU with 3 RBIs on a triple and home run. 

On the mound, starting LHP Grant Stevens (L, 5-1) took his first loss of the season, surrendering six runs on seven hits in 2.2 innings pitched. Relievers Brendan Girton, Ryan Lambert and Carson Atwood saw action out of the bullpen with Girton fanning a pair and Lambert striking out one. 

OU returns to action Tuesday night in Tulsa vs. Oral Roberts. The game is slated for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch and can be seen on the Summit League Network and heard locally in Oklahoma on SportsTalk 1400 AM/99.3 FM or nationwide on The Varsity app.

The Sooners return to Big 12 play next weekend, May 3-5, at Texas Tech.