The third time wasn't the charm for Oklahoma playing in its first SEC Baseball Tournament. After registering wins in their first two tournament games, the Sooners went silent on the offensive end and fell 6-1 to 4-seed Vanderbilt in the quarterfinal round on Thursday.
When you have more defensive miscues than hits in a baseball game, the outcome is fairly predictable, and that was the fate that awaited Oklahoma, playing in its third game in as many days against a well-rested Vanderbilt team that enjoyed a double bye in the SEC Tournament as a result of finishing as one of the top four teams in the regular-season standings.
The numbers tell the full story in this game. Three fielding errors and two base hits on offense along with a season-high 17 strikeouts in 38 total Sooner at-bats were more than enough to doom Oklahoma's chances to come out on top in the game.
Bad defense, quiet bats bring Oklahoma's SEC Baseball Tournament run to an end
While the loss to Vanderbilt (40-16) served as a crushing end to the Sooners' first appearance in the SEC Tournament, they still managed two tournament wins and were able to stave off elimination longer than eight other conference teams.
Oklahoma (35-20) was able gain some redemption in tournament wins over 13-seed Kentucky and 5-seed Georgia on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. Both teams had won series over the Sooners in the regular season. Kentucky had swept the series with OU just a couple of weekends ago.
Ironically, it was Vanderbilt that flipped the script on the Sooners in the decisive win on Thursday. Oklahoma had taken two of three from the Commodores in a home series back in April.
After two scoreless innings, Vanderbilt struck for four runs off OU starter Cade Crossland in the bottom of the third inning on four hits and an error. The Sooners got a run back in the top of the fourth when Sam Christiansen, who was hit by a pitch to open the inning, scored from third on a groundout by Jason Walk to make it 4-1.
Vanderbilt countered with a single run in the bottom of the fourth inning and added another insurance run in the seventh to complete the scoring.
Junior catcher Easton Carmichael and shortstop Jaxon Willits had Oklahoma's only hits of the game, both singles, off of four Vanderbilt pitchers.
The Sooners weren't able to get anything going against Vanderbilt starter JD Thompson. The junior left-hander worked the first five innings, allowing just one run on two hits and striking out half (11) of the OU hitters he faced.
Oklahoma's biggest scoring opportunity came in the eighth inning when the Sooners loaded the bases on a hit batter and a pair of walks, but junior first baseman Brayden Horton struck out swinging on a 3-2 pitch with two outs to end the threat.
Crossland worked 3.2 innings, allowing five runs on four hits with three strikeouts and absorbed the loss, his fifth along with four wins in a dozen 2025 starts.
The Sooners must now sit and wait to find out where they will go for their fourth consecutive and 42nd NCAA Tournament appearance. That announcement will come on Monday when the 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket and seedings will be revealed on the NCAA Selection Show at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN2.
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