In their second game of the series against South Carolina, the Oklahoma Sooners were unable to secure their first SEC series win, falling 11-5 to the Gamecocks. After a solid 8-5 win on Friday, Oklahoma got off to a strong start on Saturday at Founders Park, but late pitching struggles allowed South Carolina to claim victory and even the series.
Oklahoma jumped to an early lead in the second inning, with Scott Mudler driving in a run after Kyle Branch and Drew Dickerson drew walks. However, South Carolina quickly responded in the bottom of the second when KJ Scobey hit a solo home run to tie the game at 1-1. After a couple of exchanges, OU regained the lead in the third inning, thanks to a two-run shot from Jaxon Willits.
Despite the early lead, Oklahoma’s pitchers struggled in the later innings. After a leadoff home run by Kennedy Jones in the fourth, the Gamecocks loaded the bases and capitalized with two more runs, pushing ahead 5-3. A sacrifice fly by Kyle Branch in the fifth inning briefly cut the deficit to 5-4, but South Carolina answered with another strong inning.
The Gamecocks added more damage in the fifth, with a sacrifice fly and a two-run double extending their lead to 9-4. Witherspoon was pulled after four innings, having allowed seven hits and six runs. In the later innings, South Carolina continued to pour it on, with Nathan Hall’s double bringing in two more runs in the fifth and a 10-pitch battle in the seventh leading to an RBI single by Henry Kaczmar.
Oklahoma tried to rally in the seventh after walks by Willits and Branch, but they couldn’t push any runs across. South Carolina further extended their lead in the eighth, when a double by Kennedy Jones made it 11-5, and the Sooners were unable to mount a comeback in the ninth.
Oklahoma (16-2) will look to win the series on Sunday, with the third game scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at Founders Park.
