OU Baseball: Oklahoma Rallies Past Nebraska in Walk-Off Fashion

By OU Media Relations

ARLINGTON, TX — Oklahoma baseball continued its late-inning heroics on Sunday afternoon in Arlington, battling back from a four-run deficit to walk off Nebraska, 7-6.

True freshman Jaxon Willits knocked in the winning run on a two-out single up the middle to score redshirt senior Michael Snyder after Snyder tied the game with a double to left.

The Sooner pitching staff continued to impress, finishing the game with a combined 13 strikeouts, paced by starting LHP James Hitt’s 10 K’s. On the weekend, the Oklahoma arms compiled 41 strikeouts to 15 walks and eight earned runs.

Less than 12 hours after a 10-inning victory over top-ten Tennessee, OU turned around to close its season-opening run at the Shriners Children’s College Showdown with a record of 2-1.

The Sooners fell behind early, surrendering two unearned runs in the first inning before getting on the board in the third courtesy of a Nebraska (1-2) throwing error that allowed freshman Jason Walk to race home.

The fifth inning saw a combined five runs come across, with NU plating three in the top half on a pair of RBI singles. Oklahoma bounced back with an RBI single from sophomore Rocco Garza-Gongora in the bottom half, his team-best fourth run batted in of the weekend. Senior Bryce Madron closed the scoring in the frame by getting home on a wild pitch.

The Huskers stretched their lead to three again in the sixth, scoring on a RBI single to right to make it 6-3, NU. The run would be its last of the contest with the Sooner pitching staff throwing three shutout innings to close the game.

The Sooners put up two runs in each the seventh and ninth to secure the comeback victory. In the seventh, Madron launched OU’s first home run of the year after the senior hit a team-high 12 a season ago.

To the ninth and down to its final out, Snyder, who was exceptional at third base on the day, ripped a double to left to spark the rally. Following an intentional walk to Garza-Gongora and Kendall Pettis HBP, Willits stepped to the plate and laced an RBI single up the middle to plate Snyder and walk off the contest. The base knock was the freshman’s first collegiate hit, after previously being 0-for-8 to start the season.

Six Sooner pitchers saw action, with three making their Oklahoma debuts in freshman RHP Brad Pruett (0.2 IP), junior LHP Jayce Miner (0.1 IP) and junior RHP Dylan Crooks (1.0 IP). Crooks earned the win in relief in the ninth, surrendering no hits, runs or walks with one strikeout.

The Sooners continue their season-opening week in Texas with a midweek at Dallas Baptist Tuesday night. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and can be seen on ESPN+.