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OU Baseball: Oklahoma Uses Long Ball, Strong Pitching to Take Ole Miss Series

Easton Carmichael blasted two home runs and Cade Crossland and Dylan Crooks delivered a quality start and another save to beat the Rebels for the second night in a row.
John Hoover|
Oklahoma catcher Easton Carmichael
Oklahoma catcher Easton Carmichael | John E. Hoover / Sooners On SI

Easton Carmichael’s two home runs and Cade Crossland’s six strong innings on the hill were just enough for Oklahoma on Saturday.

Dylan Crooks made sure of it.

Carmichael provided the offense and Crossland delivered a quality start as the Sooners beat Ole Miss 5-3 on Saturday afternoon at L. Dale Mitchell Park in Norman.

No. 21-ranked Oklahoma improved to 32-13 overall and 13-10 in SEC play, while the No. 18 Rebels dropped to 32-15 and 12-11.

OU won Friday’s opener behind a pitching gem from ace Kyson Witherspoon and has now won another SEC series, giving the Sooners five series wins in eight SEC series in their inaugural season as members of the league. OU plays at Kentucky next week before finishing the regular season at home against Texas.

Crossland (4-3) went six innings and gave up two earned runs on five hits and a walk. He also struck out eight but had to scramble around a pair of wild pitches.

Carmichael blasted his 11th home run of the season as part of a three-run first inning, then mashed No. 12 as part of a two-run fifth.

Even with all that, it took Crooks coming on to pitch a scoreless ninth to secure the victory. Crooks recorded his 12th save of the season with the tying run at second base.

Trey Gambill opened the Sooners’ side of the first with a one-out triple to the gap in right-center field. Carmichael the hammered a 2-1 pitch from Riley Maddox over the wall and just inside the left field foul pole for a 2-0 OU lead.

Jaxon Willits followed that with a single to left, and Kyle Branch came through with a single through the left side. After Scott Mudler walked to load the bases, Mason Hamlin grounded into a fielder’s choice at third base as Willits raced home for a 3-0 lead.

The Rebels cut it to 3-1 in the second when Austin Fawley hit an 0-1 pitch from Crossland over the left field fence.

The Sooners extended their lead to 5-1 in the fifth — with two completely different types of ball.

Carmichael led off with another homer off Maddox to make it 4-1. After Willits struck out, Branch walked, forcing a pitching change. Mudler greeted Walker Hooks with a single to right, and Branch stole third base. Hamlin then walked to load the bases again.

After Christian Hoffman struck out, Dawson Willis drew a walk that brought Branch home and put the Sooners up 5-1.

The Rebels responded with a pair of runs in the seventh.

Crossland walked Collin Reuter to start the inning, and then took a seat. Jamie Hitt relieved Crossland and immediately gave up a double to Ryan Moerman and an RBI single to Isaac Humphrey to score Reuter and Moerman and cut the OU lead to 5-3.

Jason Bodin pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings behind Hitt and allowed just one walk with two strikeouts.

After getting two quick outs to start the ninth, Crooks gave up a single and a double to put runners at second and third. With the tying run at second base, Crooks struck out Luke Hill to end it.

Sunday’s series finale is scheduled to start at 2 p.m.

Published | Modified
John E. Hoover
JOHN HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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