No. 9 OU Evens Series with Saturday Win at No. 12 Alabama

Saturday, March 29

Tuscaloosa, Ala.

12 p.m. CT

University of Oklahoma

22-4, 5-3

Alabama

24-4, 5-3

Oklahoma

Alabama

No. 9 OU Evens Series with Saturday Win at No. 12 Alabama

March 29, 2025 | Baseball

Box Score Final Stats Highlights Photo Gallery

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — No. 9 Oklahoma evened the series at No. 12 Alabama with a 6-5 win Saturday afternoon.

A back-and-forth affair, Alabama (24-4, 5-3 SEC) tied the game in the bottom of the seventh after OU (22-4, 5-3) had built a three-run lead early in the game. OU responded with two runs at the top of the ninth to go ahead and closer Dylan Crooks slammed the door with a strikeout looking to strand two runners in scoring position.

Sooner starting southpaw Cade Crossland turned in a quality start, going six innings and scattering six hits with two runs, two walks and a season-best seven strikeouts.

Oklahoma built a 3-0 lead early in the contest with single runs at the top of the first, second and third innings.

The scoring began with an RBI single in the first off the bat of junior Dayton Tockey, bringing home Trey Gambill. Gambill extended his hit streak to eight games with a one-out single before Tockey pushed him across.

Redshirt sophomore Sam Christiansen opened the second with a bang, scorching the first pitch of the inning down the right field line for his fourth home run of the season. In the third, OU continued to build its lead with a sacrifice fly RBI from sophomore Jaxon Willits.

Alabama broke through with single runs across the third and fourth. A solo home run in the third and RBI single in the fourth cut OU's lead to one.

Scoreless fifth and sixth innings ensued before both teams pushed runs across in the seventh. In the top half, junior Dawson Willis drew a leadoff walk and two batters later, sophomore Jason Walk brought him home on a base hit up the middle.

The Crimson Tide tied the game in the bottom of the seventh on a groundout and Sooner error. OU relief pitcher Jason Bodin stranded one to keep the contest tied at 4-4.

After a clean eighth inning from both teams, the Sooners pushed across two runs at the top of the ninth to go ahead. Singles from Christiansen and Willis started the rally, and with one out junior Trey Gambill lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score the first run and put OU on top. The next batter, junior Easton Carmichael, singled home the second run of the frame. The base hit nearly brought home a pair as Walk raced home but was tagged out at the plate and confirmed upon review.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Crimson Tide loaded the bases with one out. They cut the lead to 6-5 by pushing one across on a groundout before Crooks retired the side with a strikeout to give OU the win.

Crooks earned his SEC-leading eighth save of the season, while reliever Reid Hensley (W, 3-0) earned his third win and second in the last three games.

At the plate, Carmichael, Christiansen and Gambill all registered multi-hit days. All six of OU's runs batted in came from six different Sooners. Christiansen's second-inning home run was the redshirt sophomore's fourth of the season. OU has homered in five straight games and 13 of the last 14.

The teams meet for the rubber game Sunday at 1 p.m. CT. The contest can be seen via SECN+ and heard in Oklahoma on 99.3 FM/1400 AM The REF or nationwide on The Varsity Network app.

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