Oklahoma bashes out 15 runs, salvages series finale over Razorbacks
No. 24 Oklahoma (31-18, 13-14 SEC) had nine straight runners reach in the top of the seventh as part of a 15 run outburst to salvage the series finale over No. 17 Arkansas (34-18, 15-12 SEC), 15-10.
Reliever Colin Fisher got the first two outs of the inning on just 13 pitches in a 7-7 tie, but unraveled as the Sooners sent 12 hitters to the plate. Deiten LaChance, who finished the series 6-for-10, kept the inning alive with a walk.
Trey Gambill then hit a 2-run home run to give Oklahoma the lead back after Oklahoma saw both a 5-1 lead and a 7-4 lead get away after the Razorbacks put up a 3-spot the previous half inning.
Fisher then loaded the bases on a hit by pitch, 0-2 single and a walk. Coach Dave Van Horn yanked him in favor of Mark Brissey. Brissey had not appeared in a game since April 18 and immediately gave up a grand slam to Drew Dickerson to blow the game open.
Fisher was charged with 6 earned runs in just 1 ⅔ innings of relief. He has now allowed 4 or more earned runs in four of his last five SEC appearances and has a season ERA of 5.43 in 53 innings after starting the season with 22 scoreless frames.
Arkansas’ search for a Sunday starter continues as Cole Gibler lasted just 2+ innings, allowing 5 runs and striking out 4. Arkansas found themselves down 3-0 three batters into the game after a single and walk preceded a 3-run LaChance home run.
Arkansas got plenty of offensive firepower of their own. TJ Pompey hit a pair of home runs as part of a 3-for-4 day that also included a game-tying 2-run RBI single before things imploded for the Arkansas pitching staff in the top of the seventh.
Shortstop Camden Kozeal also hit a 3-run homer for his team-leading 16th in the fifth to cut into a 5-1 Oklahoma lead at the time as part of a 2-for-5 day.
With the loss, Arkansas now falls back into a tie for sixth at 15-12 in the SEC heading into the final weekend. The Razorbacks will now need to sweep Kentucky to keep the streak of 18-win SEC seasons that dates back to 2017. Arkansas will also likely have to win out to keep any faint hopes of hosting a regional alive.
Arkansas does maintain essentially a two-game lead over the rest of the field for ninth place in the SEC. Ole Miss is one game back at 14-13 but Arkansas owns the direct tiebreaker thanks to a series win earlier this month. The top 8 teams get a single bye in the SEC Tournament while the Top 4 get a double bye.
First pitch of the Kentucky series is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday and will be streamed on SEC Network+.
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No. 17 Arkansas (34-17, 15-11 SEC) goes for just its second sweep in SEC play against No. 24 Oklahoma (30-18, 12-14 SEC) after engineering a comeback to clinch the series with a 12-8 win in the middle game of the series. Arkansas found themselves tied for fifth in the SEC standings overnight and squarely back in the hosting conversation for a regional. Arkansas sends lefty Cole Gibler (4-2, 3.88 ERA) to the mound. Oklahoma starts fellow lefty Cord Rager (3-3, 5.10 ERA).
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Starting Lineups:
Arkansas:
LF Damian Ruiz
SS Camden Kozeal
C Ryder Helfrick
DH Kuhio Aloy
2B Nolan Souza
CF Maika Niu
RF Zack Stewart
3B TJ Pompey
1B Carter Rutenbar
LHP Cole Gibler
Oklahoma:
CF Jason Walk
3B Camden Johnson
1B Detien LaChance
SS Jaxon Willits
LF Trey Gambill
C Brendan Brock
RF Dasan Harris
DH Drew Dickerson
2B Kyle Branch
LHP Cord Rager
Bottom 9th:
- Helfrick grounded out to third, 1 out
- Aloy grounded out to short, 2 outs
- Souza flied out to center, 3 outs
Top 9th:
- Harris struck out swinging, 1 out
- Dickerson walked
- Branch singled to right, Dickerson scored on an error by the right fielder, Branch to third, Oklahoma 15, Arkansas 10
- Walk struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Johnson lined out to first, 3 outs
Bottom 8th:
- Pompey homered to left center, Oklahoma 14, Arkansas 10
- Gavyn Jones replaced Bodin
- Rutenbar struck out looking, 1 out
- Ruiz walked
- Kozeal grounded into a double play, second to short to first, Ruiz out at second, 3 outs
Top 8th:
- James DeCremer replaced McGuire
- Willits lined out to center, 1 out
- Gambill flied out to center, 2 outs
- Brock struck out looking, 3 outs
Bottom 7th:
- Jason Bodin replaced Smithburg
- Ruiz hit by a pitch
- Kozeal singled to right, Ruiz to third
- Ruiz scored on a wild pitch, Kozeal to second, Oklahoma 14, Arkansas 8
- Helfrick struck out looking, 1 out
- Kozeal advanced to third on a wild pitch
- Aloy struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Souza singled to center, Kozeal scored, Oklahoma 14, Arkansas 9
- Niu reached on an error by the third baseman, Souza to second
- Stewart lined out to right, 3 outs
Top 7th:
- Walk grounded out to short, 1 out
- Johnson struck out swinging, 2 outs
- LaChance walked
- Willits homered to left center, LaChance scored, Oklahoma 9, Arkansas 7
- Gambill hit by a pitch
- Brock singled to right center, Gambill to third
- Brock stole second
- Harris walked
- Mark Brissey replaced Fisher
- Dickerson homered to right, Gambill scored, Brock scored, Harris scored, Oklahoma 13, Arkansas 7
- Branch singled to right
- Branch stole second
- Walk walked
- Johnson singled to center, Branch scored, Walk to third, Johnson to second, Oklahoma 14, Arkansas 7
- Tate McGuire replaced Brissey in a 1-0 count to Johnson
- LaChance grounded out to short, 3 outs
Bottom 6th:
- Trent Collier replaced Rager
- Aloy homered to left, Oklahoma 7, Arkansas 5
- Souza walked
- Mason Bixby replaced Collier
- Niu walked, Souza to second
- Stewart grounded out to second, Souza to third, Niu to second, 1 out
- Nate Smithburg replaced Bixby in a 1-0 count on Stewart
- Pompey singled to left, Niu scored, Souza scored, Arkansas 7, Oklahoma 7
- Rutenbar grounded into a double play, second to short to first, Pompey out at second, 3 outs
Top 6th:
- Willits walked
- Colin Fisher replaced Dossett
- Gambill flied out to right, Willits to second, 1 out
- Willits advanced to third on a wild pitch
- Brock homered to right, Willits scored, Oklahoma 7, Arkansas 4
- Harris singled to center
- Dickerson struck out swinging, Harris stole second, 2 outs
- Harris stole third
- Branch flied out to center, 3 outs
Bottom 5th:
- Stewart grounded out to first, 1 out
- Pompey struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Rutenbar singled to first
- Ruiz walked, Rutenbar to second
- Kozeal homered to right, Ruiz scored, Rutenbar scored, Oklahoma 5, Arkansas 4
- Helfrick struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 5th:
- Cooper Dossett replaced Eaves
- Walk flied out to right, 1 out
- Johnson singled to left
- LaChance grounded into a double play, short to second to first, Johnson out at second, 3 outs
Bottom 4th:
- Aloy grounded out to short, 1 out
- Souza grounded out to first, 2 outs
- Niu lined out to center, 3 outs
Top 4th:
- Harris struck out swinging, 1 out
- Dickerson flied out to right, 2 outs
- Branch grounded out to third, 3 outs
Bottom 3rd:
- Pompey homered to right center, Oklahoma 5, Arkansas 1
- Rutenbar struck out looking, 1 out
- Ruiz hit by a pitch
- Kozeal fouled out to the catcher, 2 outs
- Helfrick singled to left, Ruiz to second
- Helfrick picked off, catcher to first, 3 outs
Top 3rd:
- Johnson walked
- Steele Eaves replaced Gibler
- Johnson advanced to second on a balk
- LaChance singled to left, Johnson scored, Oklahoma 5, Arkansas 0
- Willits flied out to center, 1 out
- Gambill grounded out to the pitcher, 2 outs, LaChance to second
- Brock flied out to right, 3 outs
Bottom 2nd:
- Aloy singled to right
- Souza struck out swinging, 1 out
- Niu struck out swinging, 2 outs
- Stewart struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 2nd:
- Harris struck out swinging, 1 out
- Dickerson homered to right, Oklahoma 4, Arkansas 0
- Branch lined out to third, 2 outs
- Walk struck out looking, 3 outs
Bottom 1st:
- Ruiz lined out to third, 1 out
- Kozeal flied out to center, 2 outs
- Helfrick struck out swinging, 3 outs
Top 1st:
- Walk singled to left
- Walk stole second
- Johnson walked
- Walk advanced to third on a wild pitch
- LaChance homered to left, Walk scored, Johnson scored, Oklahoma 3, Arkansas 0
- Willits struck out looking, 1 out
- Gambill struck out looking, 2 outs
- Brock flied out to center, 3 outs
