Norman, OK – On a sunny afternoon at L. Dale Mitchell Park, the Oklahoma Sooners couldn’t complete the sweep against Ole Miss, falling 7-3 in the series finale. After dominating the first two games, Oklahoma’s defense faltered, and the Rebels capitalized with a balanced offensive attack to avoid the sweep.
Malachi Witherspoon took the mound for the Sooners, pitching 4.2 innings and allowing 7 hits, 4 earned runs, 1 walk, and striking out seven. Despite a solid strikeout total, Witherspoon couldn’t find the same form from his previous outing, as noted by head coach Skip Johnson during the broadcast. The Sooners’ defense, which had been airtight in games one and two, committed critical errors that handed Ole Miss momentum.
The Sooners struck first in the bottom of the first when Easton Carmichael, fresh off a multi-homer performance in game two, singled up the middle to score Jason Walk, giving Oklahoma a 1-0 lead. Ole Miss responded in the second with a solo homer by Austin Fawley to tie it at 1-1.
The Rebels seized control in the third, plating two runs on a combination of hits and Sooner miscues. Luke Cheng’s double and a fielding error by second baseman Kyle Branch set the stage, followed by a single from Luke Hill and another error by first baseman Mason Hamlin, allowing Mitchell Sanford to score. Ole Miss led 3-1.
Ole Miss extended its lead in the fourth when Sanford singled to score Campbell Smithwick, making it 4-1. Oklahoma answered in the bottom half with an RBI single from Walk to score Hamlin, cutting the deficit to 4-2. However, Walk was thrown out attempting to retreat to first, despite the incredible effort, stifling the rally.
Ole Miss pulled away in the fifth, as Isaac Humphrey tripled and scored on a fielder’s choice, followed by a single from Hayden Federico to drive in Judd Utermark, pushing the lead to 6-2. The Rebels tacked on another run in the seventh when Fawley doubled and scored on Humphrey’s double, making it 7-2.
Oklahoma showed flashes of life late. In the seventh, Walk tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Trey Gambill, trimming the lead to 7-3. However, the Sooners couldn’t muster a comeback in the ninth, going down quietly to end the game.
Jason Walk was the offensive spark for Oklahoma, going 3-for-4 with two triples, two runs scored, and an RBI. His near-perfect day at the plate wasn’t enough to overcome the Sooners’ defensive struggles. For Ole Miss, Isaac Humphrey and Austin Fawley powered the offense, combining for multiple extra-base hits and key runs.
Up Next:
The loss snaps Oklahoma’s momentum but doesn’t derail their postseason aspirations. The Sooners now head to Lexington to face the Kentucky Wildcats in a critical three-game series starting Friday, May 9, at Kentucky Proud Park. After being swept by Mississippi State, the Wildcats will be hungry for a rebound, making this a pivotal matchup for Oklahoma’s hopes of securing a high postseason seed and potentially hosting a regional.
With the SEC race heating up, the Sooners will lean on players like Walk and Carmichael to keep their bats hot and their defense sharp to stay in the hunt.
Malachi Witherspoon took the mound for the Sooners, pitching 4.2 innings and allowing 7 hits, 4 earned runs, 1 walk, and striking out seven. Despite a solid strikeout total, Witherspoon couldn’t find the same form from his previous outing, as noted by head coach Skip Johnson during the broadcast. The Sooners’ defense, which had been airtight in games one and two, committed critical errors that handed Ole Miss momentum.
The Sooners struck first in the bottom of the first when Easton Carmichael, fresh off a multi-homer performance in game two, singled up the middle to score Jason Walk, giving Oklahoma a 1-0 lead. Ole Miss responded in the second with a solo homer by Austin Fawley to tie it at 1-1.
The Rebels seized control in the third, plating two runs on a combination of hits and Sooner miscues. Luke Cheng’s double and a fielding error by second baseman Kyle Branch set the stage, followed by a single from Luke Hill and another error by first baseman Mason Hamlin, allowing Mitchell Sanford to score. Ole Miss led 3-1.
Ole Miss extended its lead in the fourth when Sanford singled to score Campbell Smithwick, making it 4-1. Oklahoma answered in the bottom half with an RBI single from Walk to score Hamlin, cutting the deficit to 4-2. However, Walk was thrown out attempting to retreat to first, despite the incredible effort, stifling the rally.
Ole Miss pulled away in the fifth, as Isaac Humphrey tripled and scored on a fielder’s choice, followed by a single from Hayden Federico to drive in Judd Utermark, pushing the lead to 6-2. The Rebels tacked on another run in the seventh when Fawley doubled and scored on Humphrey’s double, making it 7-2.
Oklahoma showed flashes of life late. In the seventh, Walk tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Trey Gambill, trimming the lead to 7-3. However, the Sooners couldn’t muster a comeback in the ninth, going down quietly to end the game.
Jason Walk was the offensive spark for Oklahoma, going 3-for-4 with two triples, two runs scored, and an RBI. His near-perfect day at the plate wasn’t enough to overcome the Sooners’ defensive struggles. For Ole Miss, Isaac Humphrey and Austin Fawley powered the offense, combining for multiple extra-base hits and key runs.
Up Next:
The loss snaps Oklahoma’s momentum but doesn’t derail their postseason aspirations. The Sooners now head to Lexington to face the Kentucky Wildcats in a critical three-game series starting Friday, May 9, at Kentucky Proud Park. After being swept by Mississippi State, the Wildcats will be hungry for a rebound, making this a pivotal matchup for Oklahoma’s hopes of securing a high postseason seed and potentially hosting a regional.
With the SEC race heating up, the Sooners will lean on players like Walk and Carmichael to keep their bats hot and their defense sharp to stay in the hunt.
