TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Spring is in the air, and with the students packed out in the right field, the Alabama Baseball team got back on track after dropping the previous two SEC games. It opened up the series with 10th-ranked Oklahoma with an 8-6 win to move to 24-3 on the season.

“This was one of the uglier games we’ve played, but it embodies what this group of kids are: tough, resilient, and fighters,” said head coach Rob Vaughn.

Another game where the Tide got things started offensively in the second inning off of elite arm Kyson Witherspoon with a Garrett Staton double in the left-center gap, who returned from injury on Tuesday and continued to produce RBIs. Ritchie Bonomolo Jr. put a good swing on a high 97 MPH fastball with a sacrifice fly to the warning track to add on another RBI.

The Tide continued to add on in the third with Justin Lebron with a solo jack on a tomahawk-like swing to the opposite field for number 13 on the season and continues to lead the team in home runs. Staton took a hit by pitch with the bases loaded, which made Tide fans hold their breath for a split second after previously getting injured on a similar play.

Zane Adams, who has come through in every big game for the Tide, had to grind to get every out tonight with the Sooners working Adams to 101 pitches in 4.0 innings and a Drew Dickerson laser shot to right field on a 2-run blast in the fourth. Adams went on to finish with four punchouts.

JT Blackwood picked up right where he left off from the midweek starts and picked up Adams, putting up a couple of zeros before the Sooners finally scored on a single and a fielder’s choice to make it a one-run game. 

“He was outstanding,” said Vaughn on Blackwood.

The Sooners took their first lead of the night in the top of the eighth on a no-doubter home run to their buddies in the bullpen in right center on a 2-run blast by Dayton Tockey. The Tide has been put into these situations all season with tight ball games and responded immediately after the first deficit of the night with Captain Kade Snell, who continued to see the ball well and smoked a single up the middle to tie the game up. After being moved up to the clean-up spot, Will Plattner hit a double off the top of the wall in left-center to send the Joe into a ruckus and gave the Tide the lead. With the insurance, Jason Torres ran with a single over the third baseman’s glove for insurance runs.

“Just don’t make the moment too big and just look for the right pitch to move on,” said Snell.

Carson Ozmer gave up the lead but bounced back even after the Sooners loaded it up with two outs. He got a grounder to end it to Lebron, who stayed in the game after diving for a ground ball and landing on his wrist. The Tide’s fans’ heartbeat skipped a beat when the superstar shortstop went to the ground.

After struggling at the dish in SEC play and being moved down the lineup from the clean-up spot, Torres had a big bounceback day with a 3-5 day with Lebron and Snell also tallying three hits on the night. 

The Tide looks to take the series tomorrow with Bobby Alcock on the mound. The first pitch will be at noon on the SEC Network.