Oklahoma Evens Series With 4-2 Win over LSU

BATON ROUGE, La. – Oklahoma right-hander LJ Mercurius limited LSU to two runs over 5.1 innings Friday night, as the seventh-ranked Sooners defeated the 20th-ranked Tigers, 4-2, in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.

Oklahoma improved to 18-5 overall, 3-2 in the SEC, while LSU dropped to 16-8 overall and 2-3 in conference play.

The teams conclude the series at 2 p.m. CT Saturday in a game that will be broadcast on the LSU Sports Radio Network and streamed on SEC Network +.

“We had some traffic on the bases tonight, and baseball often comes down to two-out situations with runners in scoring position,” said LSU coach Jay Johnson. “We couldn’t quite cash in and get the runners in when we needed to. Credit Oklahoma, the got the guys in when they needed to, and their bullpen did an effective job.”

Mercurius (5-1) allowed two runs on four hits in 5.1 innings with two walks and seven strikeouts, firing 83 pitches.

Reliever Jackson Cleveland earned his fourth save of the season for the Sooners by holding the Tigers scoreless in the ninth inning after allowing a one-out single by second baseman Seth Dardar.

LSU starting pitcher Cooper Moore (3-3) was charged with the loss as he gave up two runs on four hits in 4.0 innings with no walks and four strikeouts.

A lead-off home run in the second inning by third baseman John Pearson gave LSU a 1-0 advantage, but the Sooners tied the game in the top of the third on an RBI single by centerfielder Jason Walk.

Oklahoma added a run in the fourth and extended its lead to 3-1 in the fifth when leftfielder Trey Gambill delivered an RBI single.

The Tigers narrowed the gap to 3-2 in the seventh when catcher Omar Serna Jr. lined a run-scoring single, but Gambill’s RBI single in the ninth gave the Sooners a two-run cushion.

(Release via LSU Athletics)

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