Oklahoma Rebounds with Game 2 Win over Alabama Behind Gem from Cameron Johnson

NORMAN — The Cameron Johnson who pitched on Friday was far different than the one who showed up in Baton Rouge two weeks ago.

Johnson, 14 days removed from his rough outing in the Sooners’ lopsided loss to LSU, pitched a gem and helped his team defeat No. 16 Alabama 4-2. The win follows Thursday’s loss to the Crimson Tide.

Much like in his loss to the Tigers, Johnson faced trouble early against Alabama. The Crimson Tide scored one run on two hits, an error, a passed ball and a wild pitch.

Johnson, though, settled in after that rocky first frame.

The left-handed pitcher threw five scoreless innings in a row before finally allowing another run in the seventh inning. He gave up an earned run on a single from Alabama’s Bryce Fowler, and OU coach Skip Johnson pulled him immediately after.

Johnson finished his day with just the two earned runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out eight. He allowed a baserunner in six of the seven innings that he pitched, but Johnson and his teammates in the field mitigated the damage.

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Johnson’s strong outing against the Crimson Tide was similar to his performance against Texas last week. In that game, Johnson allowed zero runs on one hit and four walks in five innings — but the Longhorns scored four unanswered runs after he was relieved and eventually won the game.

This time, the Sooners rewarded Johnson for his strong outing.

After falling into a first-inning 1-0 hole, OU tied the game in the bottom of the second. The Sooners grabbed their first lead of the series in the next inning and eventually extended it to three runs.

Alabama got the seventh-inning run off of Johnson, but that marked the Crimson Tide’s only run after the first inning. Kadyn Leon closed out the game for the Sooners, holding Alabama scoreless and hitless over the last 2 ⅔ innings.

Johnson was credited for the win, his fourth of the year. The junior pitcher entered Friday’s game with a 3.00 ERA.

Oklahoma combined for seven hits as a team. Drew Dickerson and Jason Walk each registered two knocks.

With the win, the Sooners will have a chance to take the series on Saturday. OU lost 10-7 to the Crimson Tide in Game 1 after falling into a 10-1 hole in the second inning.

OU is 21-9 overall and 5-6 in SEC play following the Game 2 win. The Sooners can get back to .500 in conference with a win on Saturday.

Alabama’s loss snaps its nine-game winning streak. The Crimson Tide are 24-8 overall and 7-4 in SEC play.

The first pitch of Saturday’s rubber match is scheduled for 2 p.m.