OU baseball run-rules Gonzaga, 14-4, takes series opener

OU continued its current homestand with a 14-4 run-rule victory over Gonzaga on Friday at Kimrey Family Stadium. 

Jaxon Willits, Trey Gambill and Dayton Tockey each recorded a pair of hits. Brendan Brock and Tockey each went yard. And Cam Johnson picked up his third win of the season going five innings and striking out seven. 

The Sooners improve to 9-1 on the season, taking the opener of a three-game series against the Zags. 

SOONERS DO DAMAGE WITH TWO OUTS 

There’s two common themes emerging with this Sooners offense. You have to finish the inning against the Oklahoma offense or they’ll make you pay. And Oklahoma is giving its pitching staff run support in the opening frame. 

On Friday, the Sooners checked both boxes, scoring six runs in their first plate appearance. Four of which came with two outs in the inning. 

“When we get the leadoff guy on, we tend to score them a lot. That’s really important for us. That’s what we’ve got to keep doing,” said Dayton Tockey, following a 2-for-4, four RBI day. 

After Gambill opened the scoring with an RBI groundout to second, outfielder Alec Blair poked a two-run single through the right side of the infield. Tockey followed with his second home run of the season. 

Entering today Oklahoma had scored 20 runs in the opening stanza. Add six to that total after Friday afternoon. 

“Two outs and two strikes. Brock’s home run was with two strikes. Jaxon hits the double in the last inning with two strikes. When you’re doing that, you’re separating balls from strikes and you’re getting in a count and sticking with a plan. That’s what it tells you more than anything,” said Oklahoma head coach Skip Johnson. 

Brock hit his team-leading third home run of the season in the sixth. 

TOCKEY DRIVES IN FOUR 

Specifically it was a step in the right direction for Tockey who finished the series opener driving in a season-high four runs. In a season marked by offensive production up and down the lineup, it had been a slow start for the Sooners senior who entered the day hitting just .176.  

Tockey drove a ball over the left field fence in the first. His second of the year. He added two more runs to the tally in the fifth. 

It’s production from the bottom of the lineup that’ll need to continue for Oklahoma. 

“It doesn’t really matter how I did for myself. We run-ruled them. So I’m happy now,” said Tockey. “They’re going to have trust in me to go in the box and let me do my thing. So if I’m not doing alright, there are eight other guys that are going to do it for me.” 

CAM JOHNSON EARNS THIRD WIN

It wasn’t his smoothest start of the young season but look to the top of the fourth as a sign of growth for Oklahoma starter Cam Johnson. With Oklahoma leading 6-3, Gonzaga loaded the bases with one out. Following a mound visit from his head coach, Johnson induced an inning-ending double play ball to second, wrangling himself out of a mini-jam. 

It’s small things like that, that’ll build confidence in the Sooners’ Friday starter once conference play begins. 

“I thought that was huge. He needed that more than anything,” said Johnson. “To see him do that was big. It’ll give him some confidence knowing that he can do those things. They have a really good hitting team. They put balls in play all night.” 

Despite the Zags outhitting Oklahoma 11-10, the difference came in that the Sooners cashed theirs in. Gonzaga did not. 

“The separator in the game was that we got big hits when they walked us. We didn’t walk as many as they walked. It would have been a tighter game than that,” said Johnson. 

Oklahoma walked 12 times Friday. 

NEXT UP

Sooners will send L.J. Mercurius to the mound on Saturday looking to win the series. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at Kimrey Family Stadium.