Oklahoma strolled into the Easter weekend on the tail wind of an offensive explosion resulting in three straight run-rule wins and a series sweep over Missouri.
The 18th-ranked Sooners (29-10, 10-8) made short work of hapless Missouri (13-26, 0-18), battering Tiger pitching for 46 runs on 46 hits, fueled by 10 home runs and 23 extra-base hits.
Oklahoma left town with Missouri still looking for its first SEC win of the season.
Sooners sweep Missouri in SEC series
OU opened the series at Taylor Stadium on the Missouri campus on Thursday with a 17-4 win that didn't really get ugly until the final three innings. The game was tied at three runs each after four innings. The Sooners scored a single run in the fifth to go in front 4-3, but that proved to be the calm before the storm.
The Sooners exploded for 13 runs on 10 hits over the next three innings, including a six-spot in the eighth to end the game by run-rule. OU junior left-fielder Trey Gambill had a career game in the series opener, hitting a pair of home runs and driving in six runs. Designated hitter Drew Dickerson also had a three-hit game and three other Sooners collected a couple of hits each.
Junior left-hander Cade Crossland started the game on Thursday for OU. He worked the first five innings and allowed three runs on four hits with four strikeouts to earn his third win of the season.
A doubleheader was scheduled on Friday due to the expectation of inclement weather on Saturday. Oklahoma's offensive blitzkrieg continued as the Sooners posted double-digit wins in both games, neither one of which reached a full nine innings. OU pounded out 18 hits off of five Missouri hurlers in the first game of the Saturday doubleheader on the way to another 17-run output and a 17-7 victory.
Junior catcher Easton Carmichael and JUCO transfer Sam Christiansen accounted for nine of the Sooners' runs in the opening game of the twin bill. Carmichael drove two balls out of the ballpark and drove in six runs, and Christiansen had a home run and three RBI. Shortstop Jaxon Willits also had a three-hit, three-RBI game, and center fielder Jason Walk hit a two-run homer.
Kyson Witherspoon got the start for the Sooners in the first game on Friday and went six innings and allowed all four Missouri runs on six hits while striking out 10 to pick up his seventh win in nine decisions.
The home-run parade continued for OU in Game 2 on Friday with Carmichael and Christiansen both going long one more time. Willits had a 4-for-4 day at the plate, and Carmichael and Christiansen both collected two hits each as Oklahoma completed the doubleheader and series sweep with a 12-1 drubbing of the Tigers.
Malachi Witherspoon, the other half of the brother pitching duo, worked five innings, giving up just three hits and striking out eight to improve to 3-4 on the season.
Eight of Oklahoma's 10 home runs in the series came in the two games on Friday. The 10 long balls in the series represent 20% of the 50 home runs the Sooners have hit this season.
The Sooners have won four of the six SEC series they've played in their first season in the conference. They have four series remaining in the regular season. They will be at No. 5 Georgia next weekend. After that, OU has No. 11 Ole Miss at home (May 2-4), at Kentucky (May 9-11) and closes out the regular season May 15-17 against Red River rival No. 1 Texas in Norman.