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Diamond Heels rout Oklahoma baseball, 11-5

Eddie On3by:Eddie Radosevich•06/01/25
Syndication: Tuscaloosa News
May 21, 2025; Hoover, AL, USA; A hard-hit ball evades Oklahoma third baseman Dawson Willis (5) during the game with Georgia in the second round of the SEC Baseball Tournament at the Hoover Met.

If Oklahoma’s season is to extend past this weekend’s Chapel Hill Regional, they’re going to have to do it the hard way. 

And man it was all there for the taking. Skip Johnson’s gamble paid off in the opener. Oklahoma had its guy on the mound for Saturday night’s winner bracket match up with host North Carolina. 

Then it was over. Before it even started, really. 

The Diamond Heels turned a first inning error into six unearned runs, en route to an 11-5 victory at Boshamer Stadium. Oklahoma falls into the loser’s bracket and are hoping for a long day at the yard Sunday, playing Nebraska in an elimination game at 11 a.m. 

Defense lets Witherspoon, OU down 

Even if you were prepared for it. You weren’t *really* prepared for it. 

And while it’s hard to pin an entire game on Dawson Willis’ first inning error, it’s also hard to disconnect the error and the game’s final outcome. It opened the floodgates to a team that didn’t need any help. 

As much as Oklahoma fans prepared themselves, knowing its defense had been an issue all year, it’s hard to fathom a worse start to Saturday night’s winner bracket match up with the Heels. 

The leadoff error followed by a missed opportunity on a possible double play ball to shortstop. Set the table for an explosive North Carolina offense. Four singles later Oklahoma trailed 3-0. Three pitches later Sam Angelo made it a six run game, driving a Kyson Witherspoon 2-0 pitch over the left field wall. 

When Kyson Witherspoon struck out Carter French to end the first inning. It was ugly. To a tune of six runs, five hits and one error. 

Even if you were prepared for it. You weren’t really prepared for it. 

Diamond Heels knocked around the Sooners ace

Sooners fans sure hope that’s not the last time they see Kyson Witherspoon pitch in an Oklahoma uniform. For that to happen, yes, they’ll need a bit of a miracle out of the loser’s bracket. 

But for that(!) to be the way Witherspoon goes out seems unfair. The Diamond Heels knocked Witherspoon around following the first inning defensive miscues, exiting after just four innings in which he threw 99 pitches, allowing a season-high 10 hits, nine runs, walking three with just four strikeouts. 

Witherspoon had allowed a home run in a game six times this season. North Carolina hit three in four innings. 

A tough pill to swallow for Oklahoma in a game of this magnitude. 

Short turnaround, hope for a long Sunday 

Even after digging themselves the massive first inning hole, Oklahoma battled late into the game on Saturday. There’s no morale victories here. They got stomped. 

But maybe you can take something out of scoring five runs over the final four innings. Despite striking out 11 times on Saturday night, Oklahoma scratched out 12 hits. Dasan Harris recorded his first three-hit night since April 12. 

It’ll have to be pitch to pitch. Inning by inning. If Oklahoma wants to crawl out of the hole it’s now dug. 

And it starts with a Sunday service with Nebraska at 11 a.m. 

Chapel Hill Regional Schedule

Sunday, June 1:

Game 5 – Oklahoma vs. Nebraska (11 a.m.) Elimination game

Game 6 – North Carolina vs. Winner Game 5 (5 p.m.) 

Monday, June 3: 

Game 7 – If Necessary

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