Sooners 'Slam' Bears to Clinch Series

Saturday, March 26

Norman

2 p.m.

University of Oklahoma

14-7, 0

Baylor

11-11, 0

Baylor

Oklahoma

Photo by: Joshua R. Gateley

March 26, 2022 | Baseball

Box Score Graham Slam Walk-Off Highlights Box Score Photo Gallery

NORMAN – Peyton Graham hit a walk-off grand slam in the ninth inning to give the Oklahoma baseball team a 9-5 win over Baylor Saturday afternoon at L. Dale Mitchell Park. Graham's game-winner followed Tanner Tredaway's game-tying two-out grand slam in the eighth inning as OU overcame a 5-1 deficit.

The eight-run swing helped the Sooners (14-7, 2-0 Big 12) clinch the series over the Bears (11-11, 1-4 Big 12), with the finale set for 2 p.m. Sunday at Mitchell Park.

"It's baseball at its best right there," Oklahoma head coach Skip Johnson said. "It's exciting for our club to be down and come back and win the game the way we won the game because that should build some momentum for us. The thing I was most proud of were the quality at bats in the bottom of the ninth. We gave ourselves a chance to (score) in the seventh there, and for it to come through in the ninth was even bigger."

Ben Abram (1-0) came in and retired the final three batters of the eighth inning to strand a runner on third after Baylor scored two runs to extend its lead to 5-1. He made two plays himself in the ninth inning to keep the game tied, taking a grounder to first on his own for the first out, and then tossing to Blake Robertson at the bag to end the inning.

"Ben was really good," Johnson said. "I was proud of him. He's one of the team captains. He works as hard as anybody on our team. He puts the time in."

Cade Horton and Max McGwire started the ninth inning with singles, and Jackson Nicklaus reached on an error while attempting to sacrifice bunt. After a pitching change, Graham pulled a first pitch breaking ball down the line and over the left field wall to win the game.

"That was probably the coolest thing I've ever experienced here at OU," Graham said. "Tredaway set the tone early, so it was pretty neat to follow that up. It was my first time ever hitting a grand slam and a walk-off. I think early on we struggled today. Later in the game we started communicating a little better about the pitchers, and stuff started falling for us."

The Bears had taken a 3-0 lead with single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. OU scored one in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by Diego Muniz.

Three walks loaded the bases in the eighth inning, setting up Tredaway's game-tying grand slam. It was his first home run of the season.

"I am glad that one was my first for sure," Tredaway said. "I felt like my timing was a little off early in the game and told myself before that at-bat, I am going to be on time, I am going to be early. He had been throwing a bunch of first pitch strikes. I was ready to go and was on time that time. Honestly, it kind of surprised me a little bit. I was just trying to think middle-of-the-field and keep my normal approach. I think the timing part of it is really what gave me the edge on that pitch."

Muniz stayed hot, going 2 for 3 with the sixth inning RBI. Horton also notched two hits and Nicklaus scored three runs. The homers by Tredaway and Graham were the first hits of the game for both players.

"The crowd was fantastic," Johnson said. "When the guy is screaming 'Boomer Sooner', the OU man is here, he's going crazy. The berm is full. That's what we want, that gives us an edge. They're our tenth player. We've got nine players on the field, they're our tenth player."

The first 200 fans in the gates for Sunday's 2 p.m. series finale can receive a voucher for an OU baseball growler to receive upon exit of Mitchell Park. Gates open at 1 p.m.