Facing elimination in the NCAA Charlottesville Regional, Oklahoma baseball bounced back in a big way from an opening-game loss on Friday night to defeat Army 10-1 on Saturday behind a complete-game effort from starting pitcher Braxton Douthit.
The Sooners (32-27) broke open a close game scoring five times in the fifth inning to go ahead 7-0 and cruised to the finish line from there. OU advances to face the loser of the second game of the Saturday doubleheader between host team Virginia and East Carolina, which hammered Oklahoma 14-5 on Friday.
John Spikerman was an offensive catalyst all game against Army. He was on base four times in five plate appearances, collecting a couple of singles, a walk and being hit with a pitch, scoring three runs and stealing three bases. Bryce Madron, hitting in the cleanup spot in the lineup, had a double, a triple and a sacrifice fly and drove in four Oklahoma runs, giving him five RBI in the two regional games.
Douthit worked the full nine innings, his first complete game of the season. The fifth-year senior allowed just one run on four hits and struck out seven hitters. He also walked four, which fortunately did not come back to bite him.
Wallace Clark and Easton Carmichael hit home runs in the game for the Sooners. For Clark it was his first of the season.
The fact that Douthit was able to go the distance enabled head coach Skip Johnson to rest his bullpen after five relievers were used in the loss to East Carolina.
If the Sooners survive against either Virginia or East Carolina on Sunday afternoon, they will have to play the winner of Saturday’s game between Virginia and East Carolina in a second game on Sunday. Needless to say, OU faces a giant uphill climb just to be able to play twice on Sunday.
The Bottom line is Oklahoma must win three more games to win the Charlottesville Regional and advance to the Super Regionals.