Sooners advance to SEC quarterfinals

Oklahoma advanced to the quarterfinals at the SEC Baseball Tournament with a 3-2 win over Georgia Wednesday evening.

The 12-seed Sooners (35-19) completed the upset over the fifth-seeded Bulldogs (42-15) behind another exceptional start from right-handed pitcher Kyson Witherspoon. The OU ace went a season-high 7.2 innings of two-run baseball, while striking out eight and scattering just five hits and no walks to a potent UGA offense.

Following a pair of scoreless innings to start the contest from both sides, Georgia broke through in the third. After a leadoff single from Ryland Zaborowski, wild pitch and groundout, a sacrifice fly from Slate Alford plated the first run of the game.

Oklahoma answered quickly at the top of the fourth. Junior Easton Carmichael led off the frame with a single, followed by a Jaxon Willits double down the right line. Two batters later, junior Brayden Horton lifted a sacrifice fly RBI to center to tie the game.

The Sooners took the lead in the sixth with two runs on two hits and a UGA error. Junior Trey Gambill led off the inning with a single, followed by a Carmichael walk. Two batters later, Dayton Tockey pushed OU in front with an RBI groundout. It marked the junior's first run batted in since playing Georgia in Athens on April 24 after missing the final 11 games of the regular season with an ankle injury.

Junior Brayden Horton pushed the lead to a pair with an RBI single up the middle to score Carmichael. Horton's two RBIs marked the second time in the last four games the junior has played that he has brought in a pair. The run-scoring knock put OU in front 3-1 after six.

The Bulldogs punched back in the eighth on a solo home run, just the fifth hit Witherspoon surrendered on the evening on his 107th pitch. Witherspoon exited after 7.2 innings and gave way to reliever Jason Bodin who induced a flyout to center to end the eighth.

Senior Dylan Crooks earned his 14th save of the season in the ninth, good for third all-time in a single season in program history. Crooks allowed a two-out baserunner but stranded the tying run with a groundout to send the Sooners to the quarterfinals.

Gambill and Willits registered two-hit days, while six Sooners combined for OU's eight hits.

The Sooners advance to meet four-seed Vanderbilt Thursday at approximately 6:30 p.m. CT in the quarterfinals. The tournament can be seen on SEC Network with the championship game airing on ESPN2. All games can be heard on 99.3 FM/1400 AM The REF in Oklahoma or nationwide on The Varsity Network app.

For updates and more information on Oklahoma Baseball, follow the Sooners on X/Twitter and Instagram (@OU_Baseball) and like Oklahoma Baseball on Facebook.