When just one win can mean so much

Sooners' 5-1 victory over Kentucky solved issues and busted slumps

Jason Walk watches his third-inning, two-run home run fly out of the park Tuesday in Hoover, Alabama. (OU Athletics Photo)

Excuse me, but I have to check something before we get started …

Ah, yes, it’s confirmed.

The result stands.

Oklahoma really is allowed to win a baseball game like the one it won Tuesday afternoon in Hoover, Alabama, site of the SEC postseason tournament.

Had to check because it looked too easy.

Had to check because it’s hard to remember a contest like it, though a quick glance at the schedule reveals the Sooners won one similarly … well, does Missouri count?

At the time, more than a month ago, the Tigers had yet to win an a conference game. Still, OU scored a dozen runs and Missouri only one, so you’d have to call that easy.

Then Tuesday, though no staring pitcher saw the mound, the Sooners finished on a mere seven hits and fell behind briefly on third baseman Dawson Willis’ error allowing Kentucky’s Luke Lawrence to cross, it was an easy 5-1 triumph nonetheless, led by superb pitching, great defense and a few timely hits.

Also, though going 1 for 2 with a walk doesn’t mean Sooner shortstop Jaxon Willits has suddenly found it again, one of his outs was a sharply-hit-near-double down the right-field line and another was a sacrifice fly, handing OU an insurance run in the eighth inning, which is a whole lot better than what he’d been doing the last four weekends of the conference season, so there’s that, too.

What it was, was a fantastic opening to the postseason, an end to both the Sooners’ bullpen and, despite the error, fielding slumps; even a confidence builder for the head-man himself, coach Skip Johnson, who gave something a shot and got to see it work beautifully.

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