OU Baseball: Oklahoma Loses In Extra Innings to Abilene Christian

The Sooners rallied from three runs down to push the game to a 10th inning, but the Wildcats would cash in on a walk-off single to take home the win.

A tough loss in the midweek.

After a four-game homestand to open the season and another one coming up this weekend, Oklahoma dipped down south of the Red River for a Wednesday night collision with Abilene Christian at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX.

The Sooners’ first game away from Norman featured some bright spots but saw OU (2-3) eventually come up short falling to the Wildcats (4-1) by a final score of 4-3 in ten innings. 

Getting the start for Oklahoma was veteran left-hander Braden Carmichael, who along with his brother Easton Carmichael, formed what was believed to be the first brother-brother battery in OU program history.

With his brother catching him, Carmichael put forth a solid effort in his season debut working 3.2 innings allowing two runs (one unearned) and four hits while striking out four.

Two punch outs in the first for Carmichael.

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— Oklahoma Baseball (@OU_Baseball) February 23, 2023

As was the case in each game of their weekend series against California Baptist, the Sooners would start the game in a hole after Abilene Christian struck for a second inning run on an RBI single from Jake Skaggs.

The Wildcats added to that lead two innings later, with Maddox Miesse drawing a bases loaded walk to extend their advantage to 2-0.

That remained the score into the sixth when Miesse tacked on another run with a single to right center, giving ACU a 3-0 edge heading into the late innings.

But, as they so often have in Skip Johnson’s tenure, Oklahoma would not go down without a fight.

In the eighth, the pinch-hitting Diego Muniz would draw a bases loaded walk to get OU on the board before Easton Carmichael drove another runner home with a sacrifice fly.

Now down just 3-2, Kendall Pettis headed to the plate with runners on first and second base and two outs.

Putting together a quality at-bat, Pettis worked the count full - but swung through a 3-2 fastball to end the inning with OU still trailing by a run.

In the ninth, however, the Sooners would close the gap with shortstop Dakota Harris coming through with a clutch, 2-out RBI single to plate Bryce Madron and even the game at 3-3. 

𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 ‼

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— Oklahoma Baseball (@OU_Baseball) February 23, 2023

After a couple of huge outs to end the bottom half of the inning by Gray Thomas (0-1), the game headed to extra innings. 

But, after OU came up empty in the top half of the tenth, Abilene Christian would put the game away in the bottom with Miesse driving in his third RBI of the game on a one-out walk-off single up the middle. 

Back below .500 by a game at 2-3, the Sooners return back to the friendly confines of L. Dale Mitchell Park next for a 3-game home set against Rider beginning on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m.