COLUMBIA, Mo. — No. 18 Oklahoma run-ruled Missouri by a final of 17-4 in eight innings in the first game of the series Thursday night in Columbia.
Junior Trey Gambill had a career night, hitting two home runs and batting in six to lead OU (27-10, 8-8 SEC) to the double-digit victory. Freshman Drew Dickerson chipped in a career-best three hits and three RBIs. OU’s 17 runs were a season high and the run-rule win was OU’s sixth of the year.
The Sooners jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning. After a pair of hit by pitches drawn by Sam Christiansen and Jason Walk, the Missouri native Dickerson ripped a single up the middle to plate the first run of the game. The next batter, junior Dawson Willis, followed up Dickerson with an RBI double to center to make it 2-0.
Gambill took the first pitch of the third inning over the fence in right center for his second home run of the season and first of the night.
Missouri (13-24, 0-16 SEC) broke through in the home half of the third inning, plating their first run of the game via a two-out single from Jackson Lovich.
After the Sooners went down in order at the top of the fourth, Missouri tied the contest in the bottom of the inning on a two-run error in right field.
OU outscored Mizzou 14-1 over the final four innings. At the top of the fifth, an Easton Carmichael single brought home Willis.
In the sixth, Oklahoma put up five runs on five hits and one Tiger error. Junior Dayton Tockey began the flurry with an RBI single, followed by a Dickerson two-run double. Two batters later, Gambill launched his second homer of the night to deep right. It was the second multi-home run game of his career and first as a Sooner. It marked the first for OU since Bryce Madron hit a pair vs. BYU a season ago.
The Sooners continued to pile on at the top of the seventh, plating two on a two-run double from sophomore Jaxon Willits. In the home half of the seventh, Missouri scored one via sacrifice fly.
Six Sooner runs on three hits in the eighth pushed the game into run-rule territory. A Tockey RBI single began the scoring, followed by a bases-loaded walk drawn by Willis. Gambill continued his tear with a bases-clearing double to score three before pinch hitter Mason Hamlin singled home one more in the frame.
Freshman righty Michael Catalano went the final two innings, putting the Tigers down in order in the eighth to secure OU the game one victory.
Starting left-handed pitcher Cade Crossland (W, 3-2) earned his third win of the season on the mound, hurling five innings and scattering four hits and one earned run. Crossland fanned four and walked three on the night. Relief left-handed pitcher James Hitt went one scoreless, hitless inning before giving way to Catalano who pitched the seventh and eighth, giving up one run on one hit with two strikeouts.
Gambill paced OU at the plate with a career-high six RBIs in a 3-for-5, two home run performance. The junior from Alpine, Utah, also had a double, drew a walk and scored three runs. The frosh Dickerson registered career highs with three hits, three runs batted in and three runs scored.
The series concludes with a doubleheader starting at noon CT Friday after forecasted inclement weather Saturday pushed games two and three to Friday. The games can be seen via SECN+ and heard on 99.3 FM/1400 AM The REF or nationwide on The Varsity Network app.
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