Alabama Drowns Sooners 8-6 to Take Series

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — No. 12 Alabama (25-4, 6-3) takes down the No. 9 Oklahoma Sooners 8-6 in a Sunday rubber match to win an incredibly even top-ten SEC home series in a rain delay riddled affair.

The win, originally charged to Braylon Myers, was switched to starter Aeden Finateri postgame for his first of the year, while closer Carson Ozmer nabbed his seventh save of the season.

With a similar feel to the beginning of Saturday's affair, the Sooners' offense started off hot. Two consecutive walks allowed Jaxon Willits to rip a one-out single through the middle for the first run of the game. Finateri dug his heels in, picking up a strikeout before inducing a groundball to end the frame.

The Crimson Tide punched back in the bottom of the first. OU starter Malachi Witherspoon, twin brother of Oklahoma's Friday starter Kyson Witherspoon, plunked Justin Lebron with one out before walking Kade Snell to put two runners on base for Jason Torres. Torres capitalized, depositing a three-run blast to right field to snag a 3-1 lead.

Finateri continued to deal in the second, facing the minimum while tallying his second K of the afternoon to end the frame.

As the back end of the Crimson Tide order prepped for their first plate appearances of the afternoon, a rain shower hit Sewell-Thomas Stadium, delaying the game for 32 minutes.

After the rain delay, the Crimson Tide offense got right back to work, working home a run via a Richie Bonomolo Jr RBI groundout to extend the lead to 4-1.

Finateri retired the side once again in the third, setting up a Will Hodo solo shot in the bottom of the inning for the Crimson Tide's second homerun of the day as they took a 5-1 lead.

Finateri cotinued to mow through the Sooners' order, allowing a lone baserunner in the fourth off a Kyle Branch single before stranding him the very next at-bat.

The Alabama lineup continued to pour it on in the bottom of the fourth. The Crimson Tide loaded the bases thanks to a Fowler reaching first on an error and a pair of singles via Bonomolo Jr., who dropped a perfectly placed bunt, and Brady Neal.

Following a Lebron strikeout, Snell knocked an RBI groundout to tack on the first run of the inning and push the Tide advantage to 6-1.

The following at-bat, a Jason Torres liner that seemed destined for the glove of Oklahoma right fielder Dasan Harris bounced out of Harris' glove, allowing Neal and Bonomolo Jr. to cross homeplate as Alabama pushed their lead to 8-1.

After Finateri picked up two quick outs in the fourth, Oklahoma leadoff man Jason Walk ripped a liner into the left-center gap, eventually touching all four bases for an inside-the-park homerun as the Crimson Tide lead was cut to 8-2. However on the play, left fielder Kade Snell and Richie Bonomolo Jr. collided while going for the ball in a scary moment. Both outfielders remained on the ground for a period of time, before both getting up under their own power.

Both were pulled from the game, as Brady Neal shifted to right field while Will Plattner took his spot behind the dish, Bryce Fowler shifted one spot over to center field, while Garrett Staton entered the game in left.

An inning later, Bonomolo Jr. reentered the game at center after being cleared from a head or neck injury, as permitted by NCAA rules. Fowler shifted back to his typical spot in right field while Neal shifted over to left and Bonomolo Jr. took Staton's spot.

Snell did not reenter the ballgame, Alabama head coach Rob Vaughn stated postgame that he cut his hand open on the collision and required stitches.

Matthew Heiberger entered the game for Finateri, picking up the final out of the frame.

The Sooners began chipping away at the Crimson Tide lead, picking up two runs in the seventh and another pair of runs in the eighth to cut the Alabama lead to 8-6.

Follkowing a leadoff Fowler double followed by a Neal groundout that pushed Fowler to third, another rain delay hit Sewell-Thomas Stadium, lasting 34 minutes.

The Crimson Tide were unable to push Fowler home, sending the ballgame to a do-or-die top of the ninth for the Sooners.

As usual, Alabama opted to throw closer Carson Ozmer to slam the door on the Sooners. Ozmer delivered, picking up three quick outs to end the game and pick up the first SEC home series win for the Crimson Tide.

Alabama returns to action Tuesday at The Joe in midweek action against Samford at 6 p.m. CT.

For more Alabama Baseball, Basketball, and Football content from Simon Besnoy, follow him on Twitter at @SimonBesnoy and stay tuned to Tide1009.com for daily news.