Willis Hits Go-Ahead Home Run, Sooners Even Series vs. Bulldogs

Saturday, March 22

4 p.m. CT

University of Oklahoma

19-3, 0

Mississippi State

15-8, 0

Mississippi State

Oklahoma

Willis Hits Go-Ahead Home Run, Sooners Even Series vs. Bulldogs

March 22, 2025 | Baseball

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NORMAN — No. 10 Oklahoma evened the series vs. Mississippi State with a 13-11 win Saturday afternoon.

After a 2-1 Bulldog win in a pitcher's duel Friday night, Saturday's game featured a combined 24 runs on 31 hits. OU junior Dawson Willis played the hero with a go-ahead, two-run blast in the bottom of the eighth before OU closer Dylan Crooks slammed the door in the ninth.

OU (19-3, 3-2 SEC) scored five runs on four hits and a pair of MSU (15-8, 1-4 SEC) errors in the first. An error allowed sophomore Jaxon Willits to reach and junior Trey Gambill to race home for the game's first run. The following batter, junior Dayton Tockey, doubled home fellow junior Easton Carmichael before another error and RBI single from redshirt sophomore Sam Christiansen pushed another pair across. The final run of the frame came via fielder's choice on a ball hit by junior Dawson Willis.

The Sooners scored two more in the second on one hit and another pair of Mississippi State miscues. After Gambill and Carmichael both reached via error, Willits singled home one run. Two batters later, freshman Kyle Branch brought in Carmichael on a fielder's choice to push OU's lead to seven.

The Bulldogs answered quickly with five runs on five hits at the top of the third. A pair of two-run home runs and a wild pitch that allowed a run to score brought MSU within a pair.

Oklahoma scored three more in the home half of the third on three hits and an error. A sacrifice fly RBI from sophomore Jason Walk scored the first before Willits launched his seventh home run of the season on a two-run jack to right.

MSU answered again in the fourth with four runs on four hits. A three-run home run from Ace Reese, his second of the game, and an RBI groundout pulled the visitors within one. The Bulldogs tied the game on an RBI single in the fifth and took an 11-10 lead at the top of the seventh via single.

Carmichael answered the call in the home half of the seventh. After a Willis single and stolen base, Gambill reached on a fielder's choice allowing Willis to get to third. The next at-bat, Carmichael laced the game-tying single into right field to knot the game at 11 apiece.

After relievers James Hitt and Crooks combined on a scoreless top half of the eighth, the Sooners scored two runs on two hits in the bottom half.

A leadoff single from Branch and his third stolen base of the game, followed by a wild pitch that allowed him to get to third, set the table for Willis. The junior third baseman launched a two-run home run to left field to give OU the lead for good. It was Willis' third home run of the season and second in the last six games.

Crooks retired the side in order at the top of the ninth to secure the win and even the series.

At the plate, eight Sooners registered a hit with Carmichael, Gambill, Willis and Willits all turning in multi-hit performances. Willits paced OU with four RBIs to Willis' three. The Sooners swiped nine bags in the contest, with Branch and Willis stealing three each. The nine stolen bases matched a season high.

On the mound, OU starting left-handed pitcher Cade Crossland surrendered eight runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out a pair. Relievers Michael Catalano (1.1 IP), Gavyn Jones (1.2), Jason Bodin (1.0), Hitt (0.2) and Crooks (1.1) combined to close with four of the five registering at least one strikeout. Crooks collected his second win of the season, striking out a pair in his 1.1 innings of work.

The teams meet for the rubber match on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT. Tickets are available via SoonerSports.com/tickets.

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.

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