OU Baseball: Oklahoma Takes Down TCU Again to Stay Atop Big 12 Standings
Oklahoma got strong starting pitching, good relief pitching and a three-run home run by Bryce Madron.
But it took some late heroics — a pinch-hit solo homer in the top of the ninth inning, a blast to straightaway center field by Carter Frederick — to push the Sooners to a 7-5 victory at TCU on Saturday night.
Frederick stepped in for Rocco Garza-Gongora, who had been a defensive replacement for starting center fielder John Spikerman, who went out with an apparent injury in the sixth inning.
The win clinches the series for Oklahoma, who improved to 12-6 overall and 5-0 in Big 12 Conference play — alone in first place atop the league standings. No. 12-ranked TCU fell to 15-4 and 1-4.
The Sooners won Friday’s series opener at Lupton Stadium 7-3 — coach Skip Johnson’s 200th career victory. Sunday’s series finale starts at 1 p.m.
Oklahoma had built a 5-2 lead in the eighth inning on strong starting pitching by Brendan Girton and a lengthy relief appearance by Carter Campbell, fortified by Madron’s three-run dinger in the fifth.
But all that collapsed in the eighth as TCU drew a leadoff walk from Campbell, then touched up Malachi Witherspoon for two tying runs.
Frederick was undaunted, however, sending a 1-1 fastball from Zack Morris just over the 400-foot marker in center, putting the Sooners back on top.
OU tacked on a run to make it 7-5 when Madron walked, Easton Carmichael singled to left and Michael Snyder sacrificed them over. That led to an intentional walk to Anthony Mackenzie to load the bases. Jackson Nicklaus then delivered a slow ground ball down the third base line to score Madron.
Despite a rocky finish to the eighth, Witherspoon came back out for the ninth and shut the Horned Frogs down for the save.
Madron finished with two hits and three RBIs. Carmichael also had two hits for the Sooners.
After three scoreless innings, TCU struck first with two runs in the fourth off a hit batter, a single, a wild pitch, a groundout and another wild pitch. It could have been worse, as Girton walked two more batters with two out, but then got a ground ball to end the threat.
The Sooners then exploded for a 4-spot in the fifth, highlighted by Madron’s three-run home run.
Kendall Pettis led off with a single, then took third on Scott Mudler’s single through the right side. Jaxon Willits drove in Pettis when his ground ball to second base was misplayed. Mudler and Willits advanced on Spikerman’s groundout, and Madron, who had three hits in Friday’s 7-3 win over the Frogs, scrubbed the bases with a towering blast to right field to give OU a 4-2 lead.
Girton finished four innings and allowed only one hit but two runs as he walked three and threw three wild pitches.
Left hander Carter Campbell relieved Girton to open the fifth inning and quickly got two strikeouts to set the tone for the next three innings.
Oklahoma added what felt like an insurance run in the top of the eighth when Nicklaus walked, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Mudler’s sacrifice fly to center field for a 5-2 lead.
Campbell eventually ran out of magic in the eighth inning as he issued a leadoff walk to Logan Maxwell, which forced Johnson to bring in Witherspoon from the pen.
Campbell pitched three scoreless innings before his leadoff walk became a run in the eighth. He gave up two hits, walked just one and struck out five, and his control was immaculate, as 34 of his 49 pitches went for strikes.
Pinch-hitter Jack Basseer greeted Witherspoon with a tricky bouncer back up the middle, and Witherspoon slipped on the wet grass in front of the mound, putting runners at first and second with no out. Both runners advanced on a groundout, and both scored on Anthony Silva’s hot shot past third base, cutting the Sooners’ lead to 5-4.
Silva then stole second and third and scored easily on Karson Bowen’s flare single to right field to make it 5-5. Chase Brunson followed with a single up the middle, but Bowen was thrown out easily at third by center fielder Rocco Garza-Gongora. Brunson took second on the throw in, and then raced to third on a wild pitch by Witherspoon. Witherspoon then ended the rally with a strikeout looking.
That set up the dramatic ninth inning.
After OU wraps up in Fort Worth on Sunday, the Sooners open an eight-game home stand with a Tuesday night game against Dallas Baptist at L. Dale Mitchell Park.
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