Sooners Take Series Over No. 12 Frogs, Remain Unbeaten in Big 12

Saturday, March 16

Fort Worth, Texas

7 p.m.

University of Oklahoma

12-6, 5-0

TCU

15-4, 1-4

Oklahoma

TCU

Sooners Take Series Over No. 12 Frogs, Remain Unbeaten in Big 12

March 16, 2024 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score: OU 7, TCU 5 Highlights

FORT WORTH, Texas — Oklahoma baseball took its second straight Big 12 conference series with a 7-5 win Saturday night over No. 12 TCU.

The Sooners (12-6, 5-0) remain undefeated in conference play, No. 1 in the Big 12 standings and claim their third consecutive series win vs. TCU. Additionally, it marked OU's third straight series victory in Fort Worth.

Junior Carter Frederick hit a leadoff, pinch hit home run at the top of the ninth for the go-ahead run before OU plated another insurance run in the ninth to win the contest.

"Carter coming off the bench and hitting a home run was big, us getting another run there (in the ninth) was big," said OU head coach Skip Johnson. "Just the resilience of the guys. (Brendan) Girton was great, he pounded the strike zone. Carter (Campbell) was outstanding, and Malachi (Witherspoon), coming in and attacking the strike zone. That's all you can ask of him."

A back-and-forth contest started as a pitcher's duel with three scoreless innings to start the game. OU starting RHP Brendan Girton went four innings and allowed two runs on just one hit with three walks and a pair of strikeouts.

The Frogs (15-4, 1-4) broke the scoreless bout in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI groundout and wild pitch that scored two.

OU punched back in the fifth with a four-run frame. Freshman Jaxon Willits started the rally with a chopper that resulted in an error but scored a sprinting Kendall Pettis from third. Two at-bats later, senior Bryce Madron blasted a three-run shot to right field for his second homer of the season to give OU a 4-2 lead.

The Sooners pushed their lead to three at the top of the eighth. Junior Scott Mudler lifted a sacrifice fly that scored fellow junior Jackson Nicklaus after Nicklaus got aboard via walk and stole second.

TCU evened the score in the bottom half of the eighth on a pair of singles that scored a trio.

All square at the top of the ninth, the pinch hitter Frederick hit a leadoff homer to deep center for his second big fly of the season to give OU the lead. Nicklaus added a run on an RBI groundout to give OU a 7-5 victory.

Reliever Carter Campbell was exceptional out of the bullpen, going three innings and allowing one run on two hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Fellow reliever Malachi Witherspoon (W, 1-1) earned the win in the eighth and a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out one while scattering four hits and a pair of runs with no walks.

Madron led OU at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Four other Sooners brought in runs and seven registered a hit.

Oklahoma goes for the three-game sweep in the series finale Sunday at 1 p.m. CT. The game can be seen via ESPN+ and heard locally in Oklahoma on SportsTalk 1400 AM/99.3 FM or nationwide on The Varsity app. Live stats can be found at OUStats.com.

Tickets for OU fans in the DFW area can be purchased via GoFrogs.com.

For updates and more information on Oklahoma baseball, follow the Sooners on Twitter and Instagram (@OU_Baseball) and like Oklahoma Baseball on Facebook.