OU baseball rallies to beat Georgia Tech, 15-8, forces 'if game' for regional championship

OU baseball was down but certainly not out. 

Even after starting pitcher Cameron Johnson lasted only 12 pitches. Even after Georgia Tech plated five runs in the third. Somehow, some way.

Oklahoma will arrive to Russ Chandler Stadium just a win away from a Super Regional appearance for the first time since 2022, following a 15-8 victory on Sunday to force a winner-take-all Game 7 at the Atlanta Regional on Monday afternoon. 

Deiten LaChance highlighted a Sooners eight-run fourth inning with a grand slam that gave Oklahoma a 9-8 lead it would never look back on. Brendan Brock drove in four runs of his own.  

And on a day that began with Oklahoma playing with its season on the line, there is in fact a tomorrow. All you can ask for at this stage of the season. 

THE COMEBACK 

Oklahoma trailed 8-2 heading to the bottom of the fourth, and it seemed as if the writing was on the wall.

Then Brendan Brock opened with a solo shot to make it 8-3. Dasan Harris wore a breaking ball on his back foot. And what followed is the kind of stuff you read about this time of the year.

Oklahoma’s next four hitters all ripped base hits, setting the stage for Deiten LaChance, who drove an 0-1 pitch over the right field wall. The obituary had been written but not yet published. Six-run deficit? Extinguished. Oklahoma led 9-8. Two batters later, Trey Gambill homered to deep right, 10-8. 

The eight-run fourth is OU’s second biggest inning of the season. And in a sense, it saved the Sooners season. 

After Jason Walk tacked on a run in the seventh to extend the Sooners lead to 11-8, OU scored four more runs in the eighth. Brendan Brock rocketed a single to right. Dasan Harris lifted a sacrifice fly to left. Kyle Branch and Walk (again) drove in runs with singles. 

On an afternoon that Oklahoma began with its backs against the wall, the Sooners offense scored 30 runs on 32 hits Sunday. Banging out 18 hits in the win over Georgia Tech. 

MERCURIUS LEADS THE BULLPEN 

Cameron Johnson’s night did not go as planned. After just 12 pitches, OU trailed 2-0 after Drew Burress punished a 3-1 pitch over the left field wall and Skip Johnson walked out of the Sooners dugout with the hook. 

The task seemed insurmountable given Georgia Tech’s prolific offense. Jackson Cleveland worked the next three innings before being chased as part of the Yellow Jackets’ five-run third inning. 

Gavyn Jones picked up the win following his two innings of relief. But it was LJ Mercurius – yet again out of the Sooners bullpen– that made the difference for Oklahoma, allowing just a lone single in his four innings of relief. 

THOUGHTS HEADING INTO MONDAY

* Almost seems as if Cameron Johnson’s start on Sunday went so short that Oklahoma could run the big lefty back out there on Monday. Will be something to keep an eye on. The Sooners head into Monday in relatively good shape with arm availability. Jason Bodin, Michael Catalano, Nate Smithburg, Mason Bixby, Trent Collier and Jaden Barfield should all be available for Oklahoma. 

* Over its last 10 games, Oklahoma has hit 26 home runs. The power surge was better served late than never. The Sooners hit four home runs in the win Sunday night over Georgia Tech. 

NEXT UP 

Oklahoma and Georgia Tech will play 2 p.m. Monday in a winner-take-all Game 7. With a win, Oklahoma will head to Kansas for a Super Regional. Kansas will head to Atlanta with a Georgia Tech win. The Yellow Jackets are the highest seeded team remaining in the NCAA Tournament, following No. 1 seed UCLA’s loss to Saint Mary’s on Sunday.