The Sooners improved to 7-0 on the year, marking the program’s best start since beginning 10-0 in 2013.
Following a scoreless first, Texas Southern (1-7) tallied the first run of the game on a sacrifice bunt before OU scored 11 over the second and third innings.
After freshman Kyle Branch singled and junior Dayton Tockey drew a walk, sophomore Gavyn Jones singled home Branch to begin the OU scoring. Later in the inning sophomore Jaxon Willits hit his third home run of the season on a three-run, opposite-field shot to left. Three batters later, redshirt sophomore Sam Christiansen joined the home run club on the season with his first blast, hitting a three-run big fly to right center. OU scored seven runs on five hits in the frame to break the game open.
In the third, OU put up four runs on four hits. After a pair of base hits from Tockey and Jones, sophomore Jason Walk ripped an RBI double off the wall in center field. The next at-bat, Willits brought home Walk with his first career triple. The inning’s scoring concluded with an RBI groundout from junior Trey Gambill.
The Tigers got two back at the top of the fourth on a two-run single from Tyler Legendre before OU answered with three runs in the bottom half. In his second game played on the year, freshman Drew Dickerson dropped in a two-run double to center field to score Branch and Christiansen. The next batter, junior Dawson Willis, singled home Dickerson to push OU’s lead to 14-3.
Both teams exchanged single runs in the fifth with Texas Southern plating one on a single in the top half before an error by the TSU shortstop in the bottom half allowed OU’s Christiansen to race home to bring the score to 15-4. With the run rule in effect, two scoreless innings ensued and OU won its third game of the season by mercy rule.
OU starting right-handed pitcher Jacob Gholston went five innings to earn his first career win. In the sophomore’s first career start he finished with three strikeouts and surrendered four runs on six hits with three walks. Senior Reid Hensley hurled two scoreless, hitless innings to close the contest with three strikeouts.
At the plate, Willits went 2-for-4 with four RBIs including a home run and triple. Christiansen chipped in a 2-for-3, three RBI day while nine Sooners recorded at least one hit and seven brought in at least one run.
The teams meet for the second and final game of the midweek series on Wednesday at 4 p.m. CT. The game can be seen via SECN+ and heard in Oklahoma on 99.3 FM/1400 AM The REF or nationwide on The Varsity Network app.
Tickets are available via SoonerSports.com/tickets. Fans can take advantage of a 2 for $20 ticket deal Wednesday that gets you a ticket to baseball at 4 o’clock and OU’s men’s basketball game vs. No. 17 Kentucky at 8 p.m. CT.
For updates and more information on Oklahoma baseball, follow the Sooners on Twitter/X and Instagram (@OU_Baseball) and like Oklahoma Baseball on Facebook.
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