OU Baseball: Oklahoma Takes Care of Business in High-Stakes Bedlam Battle

The Sooners won the Bedlam battle that mattered most, taking down the second-seeded Cowboys in the Big 12 Tournament.

Skip Johnson’s club got revenge on Oklahoma State when it mattered most. 

After the Cowboys took the series in Norman, the Sooners stormed back with a 9-5 victory to advance in the Big 12 Conference Tournament, likely securing an NCAA Tournament berth in the process.

Aside from last Friday night’s wind storm bringing a complete game for Braden Carmichael, Oklahoma State (37-17, 15-10 Big 12) has had Oklahoma’s number all season long. Before Wednesday, the No. 2-seeded Cowboys had dominated the No. 7-seeded Sooners (31-24, 12-13) on the diamond, out scoring its in-state rival 48-11 across four games.

The Sooners certainly could’ve drawn a more appealing opening matchup in the Big 12 Tournament, but to make any noise, Johnson’s club was going to have to squeak by the Cowboys at some point down the line. They did it emphatically.

The Sooners were led by John Spikerman and Easton Carmichael offensively, both recording two hits and an RBI. Spikerman finished 2-for-3 with three walks, and Carmichael ended 2-for-4 with two walks.

Dakota Harris notched just one hit in six tries, but recorded two meaningful RBI’s in the process.

Chase Atwood got the nod for Oklahoma and threw 2.1 innings on the afternoon. He gave up three hits, three earned runs and recorded a strikeout.

James Hitt and Carter Campbell each turned in big performances in relief. Hitt allowed two hits and one run in just over two innings, while Campbell turned out to be the star of the show. In four innings, he allowed just three hits and one run, while adding two strikeous and walking a single batter. He kept Oklahoma State at an arm's length down the stretch.

Oklahoma came out with energy Wednesday afternoon, battling long into the pitch count and making Carson Benge throw strikes. Both Spikerman and Pettis were walked, and Bryce Madron’s deep fly out to center scored both runners.

Atwood responded to Oklahoma's offensive momentum by knocking down the Cowboys in order and finishing up the first inning in a hurry. The Sooners carried a 3-0 lead into the second inning.

Early on, Oklahoma’s gameplay was evident. Put runners on base and bring them home at all costs. Kendall Pettis’ fly out to center allowed Spikerman to tack on another run in the top of the second for extra cushion. It set up the Sooners with a 4-0 lead in the second inning, which ended up being the last full frame Benge threw.

Carmichael kept the momentum on Oklahoma’s side with a one-out double to right center. 

Then, both Sebastian Orduno and Wallace Clark were struck by pitches, prompting the Cowboys to bring in Blake with the bases loaded. The Sooners stuck to the gameplan, as Nicklaus’ sacrifice fly to center brought Carmichael home and helped advance Orduno to third in the process. Spikerman’s rocket up the middle brought Orduno home, scoring OU’s second run of the inning.

As Pettis struck out swinging in Oklahoma’s next at-bat, Oklahoma State couldn’t reel in the wild pitch giving him time to sprint through first base. Spikerman advanced to third and Clark comfortably scored after the mishap. Heading to the bottom of the third, Oklahoma led 7-0.

Oklahoma State woke up in the bottom of third inning. The Cowboys netted three runs across the plate thanks to a Zach Ehrhard double to left field and Benge’s single through the gap. OSU finally found momentum behind three straight hits and four total knocks in the inning, cutting the OU lead to 7-3 after three innings.

The fourth frame was quiet both ways, as zero hits and no runs were added for either team. Then, the Sooners had a chance to strike in the fifth.

Jackson Nicklaus, Spikerman and Pettis were each walked, as Oklahoma State’s pitching struggles continued. With just one out, Harris gave the Sooners confidence at the plate, but it was ended abruptly as he grounded into a double play ending the inning. Oklahoma’s blown chance set the Cowboys up to steal the momentum.

After Hitt struck out OSU’s first batter, Marcus Brown blasted a no-doubt home run to right field for a big time solo shot. Thanks to an error at second base and another walk, the Cowboys suddenly had the bases loaded with a chance to even up the game in the blink of an eye. Hitt rose to the occasion, though, making sure Chase Atkinson grounded out to end the inning and keep the advantage in Oklahoma’s favor.

At the end of the fifth inning, Oklahoma led 7-4.

After the Sooners went down quietly in the top of the sixth, Oklahoma State was threatening once again. Tyler Wulfert doubled to left field with an out on the board, quickly putting a runner in scoring position. Carter Campbell, who took over for Hitt, found a way out of the inning behind a Nolan McLean fly-out. The Sooners held steady, leading 7-4 after six.

In the seventh, the Sooners added much need insurance runs to extend the lead. Clark doubled down the right field line after battling a full count. Directly after, Nicklaus’ tricky infield grounder caused a wild overthrow at first, scoring the runner at second and advancing Nicklaus to the same bag. With Madron walked and Harris headed to first, Oklahoma had the bases loaded.

Anthony Mackenzie was then walked, allowing Spikerman to walk across the plate. The Sooners left the bases loaded, but scored two of the biggest runs of the game. Campbell gave up just one hit in Oklahoma State’s following cycle at-bat, and Oklahoma led 9-4 heading to the eighth inning.

The Cowboys would add a single run in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Oklahoma slammed the door shut. In a high-stakes game with postseason implications, the Sooners showed up.

Before Wednesday, Oklahoma's chances to play in the NCAA tournament seemed solid, but not set. With an impressive resume and a strong RPI (No. 19), Oklahoma was already in a good spot — and after taking down the Cowboys, it’s looking more like a lock. A massive win on a big stage against the conference No. 2 seed puts an exclamation point on the team’s furious tally to end the season.

The Sooners will face the winner of West Virginia and Texas Tech at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.