No. 11 OU baseball (21-10, 5-7 SEC) fell to No. 16 Alabama (25-8, 8-4 SEC) 3-2 in the series finale on Saturday.
Here are key takeaways:
OU pitching limits Alabama despite Cord Rager's injury
OU’s projected starting pitcher for the series finale, freshman Cord Rager, was a late-game scratch due to a tender lat muscle.
Sophomore left-handed pitcher Trent Collier made his first career start for the Sooners in Rager’s place, throwing 46 pitches, allowing three hits and two walks while recording three strikeouts. The remainder of the bullpen threw 107 pitches, allowing two hits and accumulating nine strikeouts. Collier also played in the series opener, throwing 10 pitches and recording one strikeout.
In the Sooners' 10-7 loss in game one, freshman pitcher Xander Mercurius delivered a strong outing. He pitched six innings, throwing 96 total pitches, allowing four hits, three runs and one walk while striking out seven.
In game two, junior left-handed pitcher Cameron Johnson pitched 6.1 innings, throwing 115 total pitches, giving up eight hits, two runs and two walks while striking out eight batters, leading OU to a 4-2 victory on Friday.
Sooners rally falls short in series finale
Alabama built a 3-0 lead in the first inning, scoring on a wild pitch and a fielding error by junior outfielder Jason Walk. Junior catcher/outfielder Brendan Brock answered with an RBI single to right field in the bottom of the first to give the Sooners their first run of the game and cut the deficit.
Both teams remained scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning, when sophomore infielder Kyle Branch delivered an RBI single up the middle with bases loaded to bring the Sooners within one.
In the final game, OU outhit Alabama 7-5, but could not complete the comeback, going 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
Brendan Brock leads OU with all-around performance
Brock provided a steady presence for OU on both sides of the ball, recording a hit, an RBI, and a stolen base while anchoring the defense with a team-high 12 putouts.
As the Sooners chipped away at Alabama’s early lead, his production helped keep the pressure on, but OU couldn’t deliver the timely hit it needed late.
His performance Saturday reflected a steady presence throughout the series. Brock finished the series with two hits, one run, one RBI, one walk, one stolen base and the team high in putouts with 34.
Next, the Sooners will take on Dallas Baptist at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Horner Ballpark on ESPN+.
This story was edited by Laurie Jones.
