Mar. 8—Oklahoma was in danger of letting the game get out of hand after allowing five runs in the top of the fourth inning.

With the game tied 1-1, UNLV doubled and singled to get runners on second and third with one out on the board. Braden Murphy hit a ground ball to Oklahoma’s Anthony Mackenzie at third, and Mackenzie caught the runner on third in a run-down heading towards home plate.

Mackenzie’s throw didn’t make it in time and the Rebels would go on to score four more runs on two hits behind a pair of Oklahoma errors.

Now trailing 6-1, Oklahoma put itself in a position to cut into the deficit with two runners in scoring position in the fifth inning. With two outs down, Dakota Harris hit a two-RBI single into left field.

It was Oklahoma’s first run since the third inning and paved the way for a seven-run swing in the Sooners’ favor.

With the game tied in the eighth inning, Mackenzie hit an RBI-single and Kendall Pettis scored on a wild pitch to help the Sooners hang on for an 8-7 win.

“Braden (Carmichael) had maybe his best stuff he has had in two years.” Oklahoma head coach Skip Johnson said. “I thought the bullpen did a great job. Easton got a big hit to get us going a little bit. We had men on first and second with no outs two innings before that and hit into a double play. That is going to happen if you keep playing the game. I thought they kept playing the game knowing that they could come back even when it was 6-1. Early last year our team would’ve struggled doing that.”

The Sooners scored three runs in the sixth inning, first on a two-run homer by Easton Carmichael and then on a sacrifice fly ball by John Spikerman. Rocco Garza-Gongora led the Sooners at the plate with three hits including a double.

Braden Carmichael pitched into the fourth inning, but was replaced by Carson Pierce after giving up two runs in the fifth. Pierce, Julian Hachem, Aaron Calhoun and Carter Campbell combined to allow just three hits and two earned runs over the final 6.2 innings.

The Rebels cut the deficit to one with a two-out single in the ninth, but Campbell struck out the final batter to secure the win.

The win gives the Sooners (7-5) a sweep in the two-game series. They will be back in action on Friday at 6:30 p.m. in the first of a three-game series against Houston.