OU Baseball: A thrilling extra-inning match sees Oklahoma defeat No. 9 Tennessee.
Oklahoma secured their inaugural victory in 2024 with a remarkable performance, causing an upset against the 9th-ranked Volunteers at Globe Life Field in Arlington, TX. Following a defeat in the season opener on Friday, the Sooners continued their participation in the Shriner Children’s College Showdown against No. 9 Tennessee on Saturday night.
Despite the disappointment of a hard-fought loss to Oregon the previous night, Oklahoma bounced back with an exciting 5-1 triumph over the Volunteers in ten innings. The highlight of the day for OU was their pitching, with a mix of transfer arms acquired in the offseason showcasing impressive performances while the Oklahoma batters found their rhythm.
Brendan Girton, a Texas Tech right-hander, initiated the strong pitching display, enduring some early challenges on the basepaths. Girton delivered four solid innings, allowing only one run and striking out a career-high nine batters. Although his pitch count cut short his outing, it marked an encouraging first start for the Sooners’ No. 2 weekend pitcher.
In contrast to the previous day, Oklahoma took the lead in this game, courtesy of a one-out RBI single by first baseman Rocco Garza-Gongora, scoring Easton Carmichael from second base in the middle of the fourth inning, making it 1-0. The Vols quickly equalized with a solo home run by Dylan Dreiling in the fourth, tying the game at 1-1.
Right-hander Kyson Witherspoon made his Sooners debut, impressing with his arm talent and pitching four shutout frames, maintaining the 1-1 tie. The game intensified in the ninth when Tennessee threatened to win, prompting the introduction of transfer arm Ryan Lambert, who successfully navigated a critical situation to force extra innings.
In the tenth inning, center fielder John Spikerman’s RBI double put OU back in the lead. The Sooners continued to dominate as Carmichael and Garza-Gongora contributed to a 5-1 lead. Oklahoma’s bats came alive in extra innings, securing a decisive advantage.
Maintaining a four-run lead, Skip Johnson kept Lambert on the mound in the bottom half of the inning. Lambert rose to the occasion, securing the victory by retiring the next three Volunteers after a leadoff single.
With their first win secured, Oklahoma looks to continue their successful weekend in Arlington by facing Nebraska on Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. CT.
