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Oklahoma baseball: Sooners lose, setting up winner-take-all regional final

By Chip Rouse

HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 05: David Sandlin #28 of the Oklahoma Sooners hands the ball to Braden Carmichael #27as he leaves in the first inning against the UCLA Bruins during the Shriners Children's College Classic at Minute Maid Park on March 05, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 05: David Sandlin #28 of the Oklahoma Sooners hands the ball to Braden Carmichael #27as he leaves in the first inning against the UCLA Bruins during the Shriners Children's College Classic at Minute Maid Park on March 05, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /
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Oklahoma baseball needed one win to win the Gainesville Regional and advance to the Super Regional round next weekend. But the Sooners are going to have to wait one more day if that is to become a reality.

No. 2-seeded Oklahoma fell 7-2 to No. 1 seed Florida 7-2 on Sunday night at Condron Family Ballpark, home field of the host Gators. That sets up a winner-take-all regional final between these same two teams on Monday.

Oklahoma loaded the bases in the first inning on a pair of walks and a hit batter off of Florida starter Timmy Manning. Left-hander Carsten Finnvold replaced Manning with the sacks filled and no outs and got out of the jam without allowing a run. That was a major opportunity lost for the Sooners, who weren’t able to manage much offense after that off of Finnvold.

The Gators (41-23) took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning on a solo home run by J. Fabian and added another run in the fifth to go up 2-0. Oklahoma tied the game in the bottom of the sixth on run-scoring singles by Tanner Tredaway and Jimmy Crooks.

Florida regained the lead with a run in the top of the seventh to go up 3-2, and then the wheels came off for the Sooner pitching in the top of the eighth. Fabian led off the inning for the Gators with a solo home run to left field off of OU reliever Carter Campbell. That was followed by three singles, a passed ball and a throwing error that led to three more eighth-inning runs and a 7-2 Florida advantage.

The Sooners went quietly after the explosive Florida eighth, and the Gators survived elimination to play another day.

Florida collected 14 hits off of five Oklahoma pitchers. Redshirt-freshman Cade Horton started for the Sooners and went 6 1/3 innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and fanning eight Gator hitters. Oklahoma was able to get just five hits off of Finnvold, four of them singles.

Finnvold faced all but three Oklahoma hitters in the game, going nine innings and allowing two runs and striking out four.

It now all comes down to the outcome of Monday’s regional championship final, which is set for 12 p.m. CT.

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