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Oklahoma baseball: Sooners strike early and hold on to take series from Kansas

By Chip Rouse

Jun 22, 2022; Omaha, NE, USA; Oklahoma Sooners right fielder John Spikerman (8) scores against the Texas A&M Aggies in the fifth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 22, 2022; Omaha, NE, USA; Oklahoma Sooners right fielder John Spikerman (8) scores against the Texas A&M Aggies in the fifth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oklahoma baseball jumped on visiting Kansas for five runs in the opening inning and sophomore left-hander James Hitt went eight strong innings in a 7-4 Sooner win to take the weekend series from the Jayhawks two games to one.

It was the third Big 12 series win of the season for the Sooners (23-20, 9-9) and second in as many weeks. Oklahoma swept three games over Red River rival Texas a week ago.

Oklahoma sent 10 batters to the plate in the first inning on Sunday and put up a five-spot on five hits and helped along by a pair of walks and two Kansas errors. Only one of the five Sooner hits in the inning was for extra bases, a double by Anthony Mackenzie to lead off the game.

Kansas responded quicky in the top of the second on a two-run home-run ball by Michael Brooks.

The Sooners scored single runs in the second and third innings to extend the lead to 7-2. KU scored two more in the visitor’s half of the fifth to trim the margin to three runs, but the Jayhawks would get no closer as Hitt and OU reliever Will Carsten closed the door from there.

Hitt pitched eight complete innings, allowing all four runs on five hits, striking out five and walking one. Carsten came on in the ninth and retired the side in order to pick up his second save of the season. Hitt earned the win, his fourth without a loss.

Takeaways from the weekend series with Kansas

  • Oklahoma evened its Big 12 record at 9-9, the first time the Sooners have been at .500 in conference games since the first Big 12 series of the season. In the last two weeks, OU has moved from last place in the Big 12 into a tie for fifth with Texas Tech.
  • Sophomore John Spikerman drove in five runs with two hits and a pair of home runs on Saturday, his first career multi-homer game. OU hit three balls out of the park in an 11-6 win over Kansas. The Sooners scored 11 runs on eight hits, despite being outhit by the Jayhawks in Saturday’s game 13 to 8.
  • Sooner fifth-year catcher Diego Muniz was presented the Mitchell Whitaker Award before Sunday’s game. The honor is bestowed on an OU player who exemplifies hard work, strength, courage and mental toughness.
  • Pitcher James Hitt’s eight-inning performance in Sunday’s win was the longest outing by a Sooner pitcher this season.
  • Oklahoma used six relief pitchers in Friday’s series opener in an effort to slow down the Kansas offense. The Jayhawks scored eight runs but might have had even more, leaving 13 runners stranded.
  • Bryce Madron hit in team-leading ninth home run of the year in Friday’s game.
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