University of Oklahoma Athletics Department
COLUMBIA, Mo. — No. 18 Oklahoma completed the three-game sweep at Missouri with a doubleheader sweep Friday in Columbia. The Sooners run-ruled the Tigers in both games Friday (17-7 [8], 12-1 [7]) and all three games of the series.
Oklahoma (29-10, 10-8 SEC) hit a combined eight home runs in Friday’s twin bill with junior Easton Carmichael hitting three on the day and redshirt sophomore Sam Christiansen launching a pair to lead OU.
With the series victory, the Sooners secured their fourth SEC series on the season out of six played. OU has won four straight games and six of its last seven.
On the weekend, Oklahoma scored 46 runs on 46 hits, including 23 extra-base hits. OU hit 10 home runs on the weekend coming from six different Sooners. The Sooners outscored Missouri 46-12 and OU pitching surrendered just four extra-base hits.
GAME ONE: OU 17, Missouri 7 (8 inn.)
After OU starting right-handed pitcher Kyson Witherspoon faced the minimum through two innings, the Sooner offense came alive to give him plenty of run support.
OU put up four at the top of the third courtesy a pair of two-run blasts from Carmichael and Jason Walk. It was Carmichael’s first of two in the game and three on the day. Walk’s was the sophomore’s seventh of the season and second in the last three games.
After Witherspoon worked a scoreless home half of the third, OU put up another four runs at the top of the fourth. Jaxon Willits roped a two-run double to left field before Carmichael lifted a sacrifice fly to score one and a wild pitch brought in another.
Missouri (13-26, 0-18 SEC) broke through at the bottom of the fourth with their first hit of the game off Witherspoon being a two-run home run down the right line.
OU got the run back at the top of the sixth on a Dayton Tockey RBI single before the Tigers answered with a groundout RBI and run-scoring single in the home half of the sixth to make it 9-4, Sooners.
Christiansen blasted his first of two home runs of the day in the seventh on a two-run shot to right center. At the bottom of the seventh, Mizzou answered with an RBI single and run-scoring double play.
The Sooners pushed the game into mercy-rule territory at the top of the eighth with six runs on six hits, including three extra-base knocks. Christiansen started the scoring with an RBI double to right center to plate freshman Kyle Branch. The next batter, freshman Drew Dickerson, doubled home Christiansen. Willits singled home Dickerson before Carmichael hit his second home run of the game on a three-run laser to left. It was Carmichael’s first career multi-home run game and the second straight day a Sooner has gone yard twice in one game.
OU relievers Reid Hensley (1.0) and Jackson Kircher (1.0) combined to close the game and secure the Sooners the run-rule victory with Kircher striking out one. Witherspoon (W, 7-2) earned his seventh win, striking out 10 for his fourth game this season with double-digit K’s. The Sooner ace surrendered four runs on six hits with one walk.
At the plate, OU put up 17 runs on 18 hits with eight extra-base hits, four being home runs. Eight Sooners recorded a hit with six registering multi-hit games. Carmichael led all Sooners with a career-high six RBIs while Willits and Christiansen each went 3-for-5 with three RBIs.
GAME TWO: OU 12, Missouri 1 (7 inn.)
The teams turned around for the series finale and Oklahoma picked up where it left off, scoring four runs on three hits in the first inning. With two on, Carmichael hit his third home run of the day on a three-run shot to left. Later in the frame, Branch hit his second home run of his frosh campaign and his first over the fence as his first career home run came on an inside-the-parker on opening day.
Starting right-handed pitcher Malachi Witherspoon had a four-run cushion before stepping on the mound in the home half of the first. Missouri got one run back via RBI single before a double play limited the damage. The run would prove to be the Tigers’ only run of the game.
OU scored another four runs on two hits in the second. A leadoff home run from Dickerson, the second of his career, started the inning’s scoring. Later in the frame, Christiansen hit his second long ball of the day on a three-run home run to right to make it 8-1 after two.
Witherspoon struck out the side in the home half of the second and proceeded to work four straight scoreless frames before giving way to reliever Jason Bodin in the sixth.
Oklahoma scored single runs in the fourth and fifth on a fielder’s choice RBI from Branch and RBI triple from Willits. It was Willits’ second extra-base hit of the contest and pushed him a home run shy of the cycle.
An RBI double off the bat of Trey Gambill and RBI single from Willits in the seventh brought the game to a mercy rule. Bodin put the Tigers down in order in the bottom of the seventh to secure the sweep.
OU used just two pitchers in game three with Witherspoon (W, 3-4) earning his third win of the season. The righty hurled five innings of one-rule ball, scattering three hits and striking out eight with just two walks. Bodin went two scoreless, hitless frames with three strikeouts.
At the plate, OU put up 12 runs on 13 hits with nine going for extra bases. Carmichael and Christiansen again led OU with three RBIs each while Willits was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with a triple, double and two runs batted in.
After a four-game road swing, the Sooners return to L. Dale Mitchell Park for a midweek matchup Tuesday night with Oral Roberts at 6:30 p.m. CT. The game can be seen via SECN+ and heard on 99.3 FM/1400 AM The REF or nationwide on The Varsity Network app.
For updates and more information on Oklahoma Baseball, follow the Sooners on X/Twitter and Instagram (@OU_Baseball) and like Oklahoma Baseball on Facebook.
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