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Better Weather, Better Offense as Oklahoma Dominates Santa Clara to Win Series

The Sooners found their offense following a three-game stretch of low scoring outings.
Brady Trantham|
Oklahoma infielder Kyle Branch runs to first base against Gonzaga.
Oklahoma infielder Kyle Branch runs to first base against Gonzaga. | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

The sunshine peeked through the rainy clouds over Kimrey Family Stadium—great news, considering the four-game series had suffered a Friday cancelation due to the threat of severe weather.

No. 12-ranked Oklahoma defeated Santa Clara 8-0, to earn the Sooners their third series win. No matter who Santa Clara sent to the mound—sending six to pitch during the game—the visiting Broncos had no answers.

With Oklahoma's (13-2) pitching earning the headlines over the last two games, Santa Clara's (5-8) Saturday pitchers served as the sacrificial lamb for the Sooner offense. Six OU batters earned RBIs—two players had two—and eight of the 10 players to come to the plate got a hit.

LJ Mercurius (4-0, 0.39 ERA) continued his stellar play of the season with six strikeouts and no walks. He allowed four hits with one one batter getting into scoring position on the day. His day was done after six innings and 83 total pitches.

Oklahoma's offense got rolling in the second inning when Deiten LaChance (4-2, 1 R, 2 RBI, 2B, BB) navigated an at-bat from an 0-2 hole only to get to first base via a walk. From there, Drew Dickerson doubled to right center field allowing LaChance to score the first run of the game.

The Sooners weren't done. With runners at the corners and two outs, Brenden Brock (18 RBIs on the year) doubled into left centerfield, scoring Kyle Branch and Dickerson to extend OU's lead at 3-0.

Santa Clara pitcher Jace Gilmore's (0-2, 5.93 ERA) inning walked three Oklahoma batters—two with two outs. Following a chat with Bronco coach Rusty Filter, Gilmore struck out Trey Gambill (4-1, 2 R, BB) to end the second.

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Jaxon Willits (3-2, 1 R, 3B, 2 BB) was denied a home run in the third, but he settled for a triple after Santa Clara right fielder Luke Devine had the ball bounce in and out of his glove at the wall, falling into fair play. Willits made it home for the fourth Sooner score following a Harris sacrifice fly-out.

OU's defense got in on the action in the fourth after Mercurius surrendered a single. With one out, Will Anderson grounded straight to LaChance who flipped it to Willits at second base before the ball returning to sender for the double play.

Even with a pitching change, Santa Clara struggled to find rhythm against Sooner hitters.

The Broncos went through two pitchers in the fourth inning after a hit and two walks—with two outs. LaChance's good day continued with a single that scored Gambill to grow Oklahoma's lead to 5-0.

It was LaChance again in the sixth, earning his second RBI of the day when he doubled into right centerfield. Gambill would score before Willits got greedy trying to do the same, but he was thrown out at home.

Alec Blair followed suit by singling up the middle, getting LaChance home. Branch also got in one the RBI action when he singled into right field, allowing Dickerson to score. Santa Clara was finally able to get the third out, but the damage was done—the Sooners led 8-0 after six.

Oklahoma Sooners, Skip Johnson
Oklahoma coach Skip Johnson | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

Closer right-hander Drew Rerick preserved the shutout in the ninth.

The Sooners will conclude their series with Santa Clara tomorrow in Norman at 1 p.m. A midweek game with UT-Arlington will serve as an appetizer for Oklahoma's SEC opening series against Texas A&M at Kimrey Family Staidum on Friday, 6:30 p.m.

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Brady Trantham
BRADY TRANTHAM

Brady Trantham covered the Oklahoma City Thunder as the lead Thunder Insider from 2018 until 2021 for 107.7 The Franchise. During that time, Trantham also helped the station as a fill-in guest personality and co-hosted Oklahoma Sooner postgame shows. Trantham also covered the Thunder for the Norman Transcript and The Oklahoman on a freelance basis. He received his BA in history from the University of Oklahoma in 2014 and a BS in Sports Casting from Full Sail University in 2023. Trantham also founded and hosts the “Through the Keyhole” podcast, covering Oklahoma Sooners football. He was born in Oklahoma and raised as an Air Force brat all over the world before returning to Norman and setting down roots there.

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