NORMAN — In a high-stakes SEC showdown on Friday night, No. 21 Oklahoma delivered a dominant performance on the mound to shut out No. 23 Ole Miss 2-0 at L. Dale Mitchell Park. The Sooners relied on superb pitching and timely offense to open the weekend series with a statement win and improve to 31-13 overall and 12-10 in SEC play.
Oklahoma ace Kyson Witherspoon (W, 9-2) was sensational once again, commanding the mound with poise and power. The right-hander tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out eight and walking three. Witherspoon was in control from the start and navigated a tense fifth inning jam after two hit batters, using his composure to escape unscathed. It was the kind of performance that has defined Witherspoon’s season, and Friday night marked another notch in his belt as he anchored OU’s third shutout of the year.
The game was a classic pitcher’s duel early, as Ole Miss starter Hunter Elliott matched Witherspoon through the first four innings. Both offenses struggled to gain traction, combining for only two hits and four total baserunners during that stretch.
The breakthrough came in the bottom of the fifth when the Sooners capitalized on a pair of walks to open the inning. Freshman Drew Dickerson laid down a perfect bunt single to load the bases with no outs. Junior Dawson Willis followed by grounding into a fielder’s choice that plated the game’s first run. One batter later, fellow junior Trey Gambill came through with a sharp RBI single to give Oklahoma a 2-0 lead. It was Gambill’s second RBI in the last three games and Willis’ third in the last five, underscoring the pair’s recent offensive contributions.
Witherspoon returned to the mound for the sixth and seventh, navigating around a two-out walk in the sixth before retiring the side in order in the seventh. His efficient outing set the tone for the bullpen, which closed out the Rebels with poise.
Jason Bodin entered in the eighth for his 22nd appearance of the season and promptly erased a one-out single by inducing a double play. Then it was closer Dylan Crooks’ turn in the ninth. After issuing a two-out walk, Crooks struck out the final batter to earn his 11th save of the season, sealing the win for Oklahoma.
Despite the loss, Elliott (L, 6-3) turned in a strong performance for Ole Miss, going 6.2 innings and giving up just two runs on three hits while striking out seven and walking four. The Rebels dropped to 32-14 overall and 12-10 in conference play, now tied with the Sooners in the SEC standings.
At the plate, Oklahoma’s three hits came from Dickerson, Gambill, and sophomore Jaxon Willits. While the bats weren’t explosive, the timely execution in the fifth inning proved more than enough behind Witherspoon’s brilliance.
With the series off to a strong start, the Sooners will look to build on their momentum as they continue their push toward postseason positioning.
