OU Baseball: Oklahoma Claws Its Way to a 3-2 Victory Over CSUN

NORMAN — Oklahoma was looking to keep its winning ways going and chase history.

OU needed to rally and then hold on in the ninth, but the Sooners beat Cal State Northridge 3-2 on Sunday at L. Dale Mitchell Park.

OU improved to 11-0 on the season, tying the 1984 team third best start to a season in program history.

OU starter Cameron Johnson did just what he needed to do to put his team in a position to win by pitching 5 1/3 innings and giving up just three hits and two runs. Jason Bodin gave up just two hits and pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, and Dylan Crooks threw two scoreless for his third save of the season, inclduing a tense ninth.

Johnson avoided big trouble early as he gave up a walk, a single to Kyle Panganiban and hit a batter to load the bases for the Matadors. But Johnson left all three runners stranded after he forced Tyler Mejia to groundout to first base to end the top of the first inning.

Both Johnson and CSUN starter Diego Gutierrez came out red hot to start the game as they did an excellent job of mixing their pitches and keeping the hitters guessing.

The Sooners had their best chance to get runs across in the second inning after a walk by Dayton Tockey and a base hit by Brayden Horton put two runners on, but that attempt was spoiled after a strikeout by Dawson Willis.

Northridge created some offense of its own in the top of the fourth after a walk to Matthew Pena and a double by Tyler Mejia put runners on second and third with only one out. CSUN got on the board first after Pena made it home on an RBI safety squeeze bunt by Andrew Becker to give the Matadors the early 1-0 lead.

A walk to Xavier Rios loaded the bases with one out, but a diving catch by outfielder Trey Gambill and a strikeout by Cameron Johnson held the Matadors to only a single run in the fourth.

A walk in the top of the sixth to Tyler Mejia ended the day for Johnson who finished with four strikeouts and four walks.

Bodin entered the game for Johnson and the Matador bats were able to bring in their second run of the day on an RBI single into left field by Elijah Fairchild that gave the Matadors a 2-0 lead.

The Sooners responded in their half of the sixth when back-to-back singles by Jaxon Wilits and Easton Carmichael put runners on the corners with one out. A sacrifice fly by Sam Christansen brought in Wilits and cut it to 2-1.

That ended the day for Gutierrez, who threw 5 2/3 innings and had four strikeouts, three walks and gave up four hits.

Calix Armijo entered the game for CSUN and came up huge for the Matadors as he struck out Dayton Tockey to keep it a 2-1 contest headed into the seventh.

A leadoff walk to Brayden Horton and an RBI double by Dawson Willis brought Horton in all the way from first and made it a 2-2 game.

OU head coach Skip Johnson said he and his assistants have been encouraging and working with Willis, who came through with the clutch hit.

“Russell (Raley) has been working with (Willis), he’s been grinding and grinding," Johnson said. "He was a great offensive player in the fall. Reggie (Willits) and I visited with him and we said to 'Trust the stuff the Russell is working with you on.' "

Dasan Harris followed that when he beat out a groundball for a single that chased Armijo from the game.

Trey Gambill gave the Sooners the 3-2 lead with an RBI fielder's choice that drove in Willis from third and Oklahoma took its first lead of the game.

Crooks entered in the eighth for Bodin and he held the Matadors off the board for the final two innings.

“I knew we didn’t tax him on Friday or Saturday and we could use him today for extended innings," Johnson said.

Crooks issued back-to-back walks to start the ninth, however, but he quickly got two outs, then pumped his fist after Gambill raced in from left field to catch Jarren Sanderson's line drive to end the game.

The Sooners hit the road down I-35 to take on the Dallas Baptist Patriots on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.