OU Baseball: Oklahoma falls to OSU in Bedlam Opener
By OU Media Relations
STILLWATER – Oklahoma fell 9-6 Friday night in Stillwater to Oklahoma State in the first of three Bedlam matchups this weekend.
The Sooners (16-13, 7-3) outhit the Cowboys 11-6 on the night, hitting four home runs. Freshman Jaxon Willits hit two of the four homers, good for his first two collegiate blasts. Easton Carmichael and Jackson Nicklaus hit OU’s other two round-trippers.
The Cowboys (20-10, 6-4) struck first at the bottom of the first on a two-run home run from Nolan Schubart. OU starting LHP Braden Davis would shake back and twirl three scoreless innings thereafter.
The Sooners got on the board in the fifth. After a leadoff double from redshirt senior Kendall Pettis down the left line, freshman Jason Walk extended his hit streak to seven games with an RBI double to left field.
At the bottom of the fifth, OSU would answer with four runs off a pair of doubles from Zach Ehrhard and Aidan Meola to make it 6-1, Cowboys.
The teams would continue to trade runs with a leadoff home run from OU sophomore Easton Carmichael at the top of the sixth. It was Carmichael’s third of the season.
The Sooners would continue to chip away into the seventh with a solo home run off the bat of Willits. It was the frosh shortstop’s first collegiate blast.
In the bottom of the seventh, OSU would get the runs back with a three-run frame. A two-run single from Avery Ortiz followed by a Sooner miscue that allowed another Cowboy to cross home put OSU up 9-3 through seven.
OU senior Bryce Madron led off the eighth with a ground rule double that bounced up and over the center field wall. After a flyout allowed Madron to advance to third, a wild pitch would allow him to get home, cutting the lead to 9-4.
In the ninth, a pair of solo homers from Willits and Nicklaus would bring the final score to 9-6. It was Willits’ second of the night to right field, good for the first two-homer game of his young career, while Nicklaus’ opposite field rocket to left was his team-leading sixth of the year.
On the mound, Davis went six innings, allowing seven runs on four hits with six walks and six strikeouts. Relievers Carson Atwood, Jace Miner and Jett Lodes would all see action in the final three innings with Lodes striking out a pair.
At the plate, Willits and Carmichael each had two-hit games to pace OU.