Oklahoma completes memorable comeback, walks off Kansas
Oklahoma just won't quit.
After an offensive slugfest versus TCU in the morning game, Kansas advanced to face Oklahoma for the second straight day in Arlington. This matchup would be an elimination bout where the victor would advance into the Big 12 championship game.
Similar to yesterday, Oklahoma found themselves down early after a quick start by the Jayhawks against OU starting pitcher Brendan Girton. The KU offense carried its momentum from the previous game into the semis versus OU, as their first four hitters all reached base. The Jayhawks eventually hung four first-inning runs on Girton, and Oklahoma couldn't answer in their half of the first.
In the top of the second, Kansas kept it rolling at the plate. After a KU single and a walk to start the inning, Skip Johnson would turn to Grant Stevens to relieve Girton. Kansas would eventually get both runners across the plate, but Stevens would escape the inning with no further damage incurred. Kansas led 6-0 through two, and Kansas pitcher J'Briell Easley kept the Sooners off the board through the fourth inning. However, Stevens matched him zero for zero, keeping the deficit at six runs.
In the bottom of the fifth, Oklahoma finally got it together on offense. With two outs and one runner on base, Jaxon Willits blasted a two-run homer deep into right to give Oklahoma life. OU would rally and with the bases loaded, Jackson Nicklaus flicked an RBI single that plated two more runs. Kendall Pettis kept the two-out surge going, driving home another Sooner run to cut the lead to 6-5.
Stevens posted another goose egg in the top of the sixth, and Oklahoma pulled even in the bottom of the frame. With one out and two runners on, Jaxon Willits came up clutch again for OU with a massive RBI double to tie the game at 6-6.
Carson Atwood relieved Stevens with one out in the seventh and quickly found his groove. With help from an incredible Michael Snyder catch, Atwood kept Kansas off the board for the fifth straight inning. With the Sooners' bats due up again, it seemed that the momentum was about to swing fully in OU's favor. But despite putting runners on the corners with two outs, the Sooners couldn't pull ahead and went scoreless in the inning.
Kansas loaded the bases in the top of the eighth, as Atwood allowed a pair of baserunners and Oklahoma lefty Jamie Hitt beaned a Jayhawk with his only pitch of the game. Jett Lodes came on to relieve Hitt, and KU's Collier Cranford promptly sent a missile into right field that Rocco Garza-Gongora miraculously snagged to end the inning. Oklahoma once again left a runner stranded in scoring position in the bottom of the eighth.
Lodes would quickly record the first out for Oklahoma in the ninth, but after back-to-back walks, his day was done and Ryan Lambert's time had arrived. Lambert struck out a pair of Jayhawks to end the threat and give Oklahoma a chance to win the game in walk-off fashion.
Unsurprisingly, the Sooners made good on that opportunity, courtesy of Jackson Nicklaus. After Anthony Mackenzie led off with a single, Nicklaus launched a two-run bomb into right to send the Sooners to the Big 12 title game.
After the 8-6 victory, Oklahoma will look to claim the Big 12 tournament title tomorrow at 6 p.m. CST versus UCF, Oklahoma State or Texas Tech.
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