CHAPEL HILL, NC — The Oklahoma Sooners kept their season alive with a 9-5 victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first game of the Chapel Hill Regional final on Sunday night. After falling 11-5 to the Tar Heels just 24 hours earlier, the Sooners flipped the script, erupting for nine runs on 11 hits to force a winner-take-all showdown on Monday for a spot in the Super Regionals.
Oklahoma, needing two wins to claim the regional, leaned on a poised performance from freshman left-hander Jaden Barfield and a relentless offensive attack led by Jaxon Willits, Drew Dickerson, and Dasan Harris. North Carolina, who needed just one victory to advance, battled back but couldn’t overcome a five-run sixth inning that swung the game decisively in Oklahoma’s favor.
Barfield, making his mark in the regional final, delivered a gritty performance, tossing 4.0 innings while allowing two hits, one earned run, one walk, and striking out three. The freshman showed remarkable composure, especially in the fourth inning when North Carolina’s Gavin Gallaher tied the game at 1-1 with a solo homer. After a hit-by-pitch put the Tar Heels in position to take control, Oklahoma head coach Skip Johnson visited the mound to settle his young pitcher. Barfield responded, inducing three quick outs with help from his defense to keep the game tied.
Jaden Barfield showed incredible poise for a freshman. He got out of rhythm but found a way to get back to the strike zone and give the Sooners a chance.
The Sooners struck first in the third inning when Dawson Willis launched a solo homer to left field, giving Oklahoma an early 1-0 lead. North Carolina answered in the fourth with Gallaher’s homer, but Oklahoma regained the lead in the bottom of the frame when Easton Carmichael capitalized on a Tar Heel error, allowing Kyle Branch to score for a 2-1 advantage.
The Tar Heels took their first lead in the fifth, as Gallaher’s two-RBI double to left-center put North Carolina up 3-2. The rally came amid frustration from Oklahoma fans over a pair of missed strike calls that extended the inning. However, the Sooners refused to let the game slip away.
In the sixth, Oklahoma’s bats exploded for five runs to seize control. Drew Dickerson ignited the rally with a towering two-run homer, followed by Jaxon Willits’ two-RBI double to left field. Kyle Branch capped the inning with an RBI single to score Willits, pushing the Sooners ahead 7-3.
North Carolina fought back in the seventh, as Luke Stevenson’s groundout and another Gallaher double brought the Tar Heels within two at 7-5. But Oklahoma’s defense stood tall in the eighth, escaping a bases-loaded, no-out jam thanks to reliever Dylan Crooks and sharp fielding.
The Sooners added insurance in the seventh when Carmichael’s bases-loaded single scored Harris, and Dasan Harris sealed the deal with a solo homer in the eighth, extending the lead to 9-5. Oklahoma’s closer, Dylan Crooks, closed the door in the ninth, securing the victory.
Jaxon Willits was the catalyst for Oklahoma’s offense, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. His timely hits, including the 2 RBI double in the sixth, shifted momentum. Drew Dickerson provided a spark, going 1-for-3 with a run and a two-run homer that jumpstarted the Sooners’ biggest inning. Dasan Harris also shined, reaching base four times (2-for-3, 2 BB), scoring three runs, and adding an RBI with his late homer.
For North Carolina, Gavin Gallaher led the way, going 3-for-4 with a homer, a double, and four RBIs, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Oklahoma’s offensive outburst.
The Sooners now face a do-or-die rematch against the Tar Heels on Monday, with the winner advancing to the Super Regionals. After connecting for 11 hits and nine runs, Oklahoma’s bats are humming, and their confidence is high. First pitch is set for Monday, time TBD, with the season on the line for both teams.
Oklahoma, needing two wins to claim the regional, leaned on a poised performance from freshman left-hander Jaden Barfield and a relentless offensive attack led by Jaxon Willits, Drew Dickerson, and Dasan Harris. North Carolina, who needed just one victory to advance, battled back but couldn’t overcome a five-run sixth inning that swung the game decisively in Oklahoma’s favor.
Barfield, making his mark in the regional final, delivered a gritty performance, tossing 4.0 innings while allowing two hits, one earned run, one walk, and striking out three. The freshman showed remarkable composure, especially in the fourth inning when North Carolina’s Gavin Gallaher tied the game at 1-1 with a solo homer. After a hit-by-pitch put the Tar Heels in position to take control, Oklahoma head coach Skip Johnson visited the mound to settle his young pitcher. Barfield responded, inducing three quick outs with help from his defense to keep the game tied.
Jaden Barfield showed incredible poise for a freshman. He got out of rhythm but found a way to get back to the strike zone and give the Sooners a chance.
The Sooners struck first in the third inning when Dawson Willis launched a solo homer to left field, giving Oklahoma an early 1-0 lead. North Carolina answered in the fourth with Gallaher’s homer, but Oklahoma regained the lead in the bottom of the frame when Easton Carmichael capitalized on a Tar Heel error, allowing Kyle Branch to score for a 2-1 advantage.
The Tar Heels took their first lead in the fifth, as Gallaher’s two-RBI double to left-center put North Carolina up 3-2. The rally came amid frustration from Oklahoma fans over a pair of missed strike calls that extended the inning. However, the Sooners refused to let the game slip away.
In the sixth, Oklahoma’s bats exploded for five runs to seize control. Drew Dickerson ignited the rally with a towering two-run homer, followed by Jaxon Willits’ two-RBI double to left field. Kyle Branch capped the inning with an RBI single to score Willits, pushing the Sooners ahead 7-3.
North Carolina fought back in the seventh, as Luke Stevenson’s groundout and another Gallaher double brought the Tar Heels within two at 7-5. But Oklahoma’s defense stood tall in the eighth, escaping a bases-loaded, no-out jam thanks to reliever Dylan Crooks and sharp fielding.
The Sooners added insurance in the seventh when Carmichael’s bases-loaded single scored Harris, and Dasan Harris sealed the deal with a solo homer in the eighth, extending the lead to 9-5. Oklahoma’s closer, Dylan Crooks, closed the door in the ninth, securing the victory.
Jaxon Willits was the catalyst for Oklahoma’s offense, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. His timely hits, including the 2 RBI double in the sixth, shifted momentum. Drew Dickerson provided a spark, going 1-for-3 with a run and a two-run homer that jumpstarted the Sooners’ biggest inning. Dasan Harris also shined, reaching base four times (2-for-3, 2 BB), scoring three runs, and adding an RBI with his late homer.
For North Carolina, Gavin Gallaher led the way, going 3-for-4 with a homer, a double, and four RBIs, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Oklahoma’s offensive outburst.
The Sooners now face a do-or-die rematch against the Tar Heels on Monday, with the winner advancing to the Super Regionals. After connecting for 11 hits and nine runs, Oklahoma’s bats are humming, and their confidence is high. First pitch is set for Monday, time TBD, with the season on the line for both teams.
