Alabama Snuffs out Oklahoma Comeback with 3-Run 8th Inning

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The No. 12 Alabama Crimson Tide (24-3, 5-2) took down No. 9 Oklahoma 8-6 thanks to a three-run eighth frame in a game that felt like a Super Regional on Friday evening.

This evening, Kade Snell continued to rake at the plate, rattling off three hits, two RBIs, a double, and a walk. The Crimson Tide captain is currently on a seven-game multi-hit streak while batting .436 on the season.

Two of the best pitchers in the SEC took the mound Friday in Tuscaloosa. Oklahoma's Kyson Witherspoon entered the game with a 1.80 ERA over six starts, and Alabama's Zane Adams, who held a 3.56 ERA over six starts entering the night.

Adams began strong on the mound for the Crimson Tide, retiring the top of the Oklahoma order in the first.

The bottom of the frame was a similar story for the Crimson Tide, apart from a two-out hustle double from Kade Snell, Kyson Witherspoon kept the vaunted Alabama offense off the scoreboard in the first.

The Sooners' lineup began to drive up Adams' pitch count in the second. The Oklahoma bats saw a total of 31 pitches, fouling off 14 in the process.

The Sooners worked two walks in the second, but both were stranded following a Dayton Tockey groundout.

The Crimson Tide began the scoring in the second. A one-out Jason Torres single and Bryce Fowler walk put two runners on for Garrett Staton. In his first at-bat back at Sewell-Thomas stadium since breaking his finger on February 18, Staton dropped a gapper into left-center field, scoring Torres and advancing Fowler to third. 1-0, Alabama leads.

The following at-bat, Richie Bonomolo Jr. knocked an RBI sac fly to score Fowler and extend the Alabama lead to 2-0. Coleman Mizell struck out looking to end the inning.

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Adams continued his strong night in the third, allowing a pair of Sooners to reach but stranding the two with a strikeout. However, Oklahoma continued to drive up Adams' pitch count, plaguing the southpaw to a short start, a problem for the Crimson Tide as they entered the weekend shorthanded.

Alabama doubled its lead in the fourth inning. Justin Lebron led off the inning with a deposit to the Right Field Ragers for his 13th home run of the year, pushing the Tide lead out to 3-0.

The Crimson Tide lineup worked to load the bases. With two outs, Witherspoon plunked Staton to move the Crimson Tide ahead 90 feet, scoring one as Alabama pushed their advantage to 4-0. A hard-hit Bonomolo Jr. liner to OU shortstop Jaxon Willits ended the inning for the Tide.

The Sooners cut the Crimson Tide lead in half in the top of the fourth via a one-out two-run home run from Drew Dickerson to cut the Alabama advantage to 4-2.

A Drew Tockey double threatened to cut into the Crimson Tide's lead further, but Adams worked around it, picking up a quick groundout and flyout to escape the inning without any more damage.

Kade Snell worked a two-out walk the following inning, but the Tide couldn't do anything with it as the score remained at 4-2.

In the fifth, JT Blackwood entered the game in relief for Adams. Adams finished his night tossing 4.0 innings, two earned runs, three walks, and four strikeouts on 101 total pitches.

Blackwood dropped the Sooners in order on seven pitches in his first inning of work.

The Crimson Tide worked another two-out walk in the fifth, this time from Bryce Fowler. However, they couldn't work him home for a run.

Blackwood continued to deal in the sixth, picking up two strikeouts while a lone Sooner reached via an error to maintain the Alabama lead at 4-2.

The Alabama bats tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the frame, as two-out Justin Lebron double set up a Kade Snell RBI-single through the middle of the infield to extend the Alabama lead to 5-2.

A Will Plattner single threatened to blow the game wide open, but OU pitcher James Hitt struck out Hodo to avoid more damage.

In the top of the seventh, the Sooners plated two runs, one via a Jaxon Willits single and the other from an Easton Carmichael RBI double play to cut the Tide lead to 5-4.

Matthew Heiberger entered the game with two outs, allowing a lone hit before inducing a groundout to end the inning.

Eyeing a response in the bottom of the frame, the Crimson Tide once again worked a two-out walk, this time being Garrett Staton. However, Alabama could not capitalize on a two-out walk again, keeping their lead at 5-4.

Following a leadoff infield single in the eighth, Alabama opted for the closer Carson Ozmer to handle the final two innings of work.

Ozmer picked up a strikeout before allowing a Dayton Tockey two-run blast to the visitor's bullpen, giving the Sooners their first lead of the night, 6-5.

Looking to respond from their first deficit of the night, the Crimson Tide did just that. Brennen Norton, who pinch hit for Coleman Mizell earlier in the evening, worked a leadoff walk to begin the inning. Lebron then singled up the middle to put two on for Snell.

Snell, as usual, was more clutch than a manual transmission, ripping another single through the middle to even up the game at six apiece with runners on the corners and no outs in the bottom of the eighth.

Will Plattner snagged the lead back one at-bat later, ripping a double off the wall to score Justin Lebron and take a 7-6 lead.

The Sooners picked up two outs after a stint of shoddy baserunning by the Crimson Tide. Jason Torres came through for the Tide with one out remaining in the inning and Alabama wanting an insurance run. The third baseman ripped a single into left field to score Plattner and push the Crimson Tide lead to 8-6.

Rob Vaughn & Co. stayed with Ozmer in the top of the ninth. The righty allowed a leadoff walk before picking up two flyouts. A two-out infield single by Oklahoma's Kyle Branch put runners on the corners after Lebron dove to stop the groundball.

Lebron stayed on the ground and appeared to be injured, but the superstar shortstop eventually got up to a round of applause from the Crimson Tide faithful and remained in the game.

After a pair of questionable called balls on a two-strike count that should've ended the game, Ozmer walked OU's Trey Gambill to load the bases with two outs for the Sooners.

Ozmer dug his heels in, inducing a groundball to Lebron to end the game.

Alabama eyes the series win tomorrow at 12 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.