LSU
Oklahoma
HOOVER, Ala. (05/18/2026) — The LSU Tigers handled the Oklahoma Sooners 6-2 on Monday at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, riding a four-run middle-inning surge and seven scoreless frames from their bullpen to pull away in SEC Tournament play.
LSU's offense produced six scoring plays, paced by Derek Curiel's 3-for-6 effort and a two-run homer from Steven Milam that put the game out of reach in the eighth. Oklahoma got within a run at multiple points but could not solve the LSU staff after the fourth inning.
How It Happened
The Tigers struck first in the third. Curiel singled to left field and advanced to second on a fielding error by the left fielder, plating Omar Serna Jr. for an unearned run and a 1-0 LSU lead. Oklahoma answered in the bottom half when Camden Johnson lined an RBI single to left center, scoring Kyle Branch to knot the game at 1-1.
Oklahoma briefly grabbed the lead in the fourth. Dylan Tockey struck out swinging but reached first on a wild pitch, with Brock Brock advancing to third on a throwing error by the catcher before coming around to score. The unearned run gave the Sooners a 2-1 edge — their only lead of the night.
LSU responded with the decisive blow in the fifth. Curiel doubled down the left-field line to score Mason Braun and tie the game at 2-2. Moments later, Milam reached on a fielder's choice to third base and advanced to second on the throw, with Curiel scoring and Serna Jr. coming home on a throwing error from the third baseman. The three-run inning flipped the game to a 4-2 LSU advantage and represented the contest's biggest run.
From there, the Tigers' bullpen took control. Gavin Guidry struck out six over 3.1 innings, allowing two hits and one run, before Deven Sheerin closed the door with 3.1 innings of one-hit, scoreless relief and six strikeouts of his own.
Turning Point
The fifth inning broke the game open. After Curiel's RBI double erased Oklahoma's brief lead, Milam's fielder's-choice ground ball turned into a two-run swing when a throwing error allowed Serna Jr. to score from second. That sequence flipped a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead and shifted the momentum permanently to the LSU dugout. Milam later removed any lingering doubt in the eighth, driving a two-run homer to right field that scored Ethan Arrambide and pushed the margin to 6-2.
Star of the Game
Milam delivered the most impactful day at the plate for either side, finishing 1-for-3 with a walk, a run scored, a home run and two RBI. His eighth-inning homer to right was the game's lone long ball and capped a four-run cushion that allowed the LSU bullpen to operate without pressure. Curiel was nearly as influential, going 3-for-6 with a run scored, an RBI double and a key single that set up the Tigers' opening run.
On the mound, Sheerin's 3.1 innings of one-hit, six-strikeout relief sealed the win. Guidry's 3.1-inning, six-strikeout bridge effort kept Oklahoma in check through the middle innings.
For Oklahoma, Johnson's RBI single accounted for the lone batted-in run, while Branch reached and scored the Sooners' first run. Gavyn Jones tossed two hitless innings with two strikeouts in relief, but four Oklahoma pitchers combined to surrender six runs over the final five innings.
What It Means
LSU continues to assert itself in Hoover with a complementary brand of baseball — situational hitting, opportunistic baserunning and bullpen depth that has carried multiple games this postseason. The Tigers' middle relievers combined for 12 strikeouts and allowed just one run on three hits, a formula that will travel well into the NCAA Tournament.
For Oklahoma, the loss highlights a familiar challenge: the Sooners scratched out single runs in the third and fourth but went hitless across the final four frames against Guidry and Sheerin. Jason Walk, Deiten Lachance and Trey Gambill each managed only one hit in four at-bats, and the lineup will need to find more sustained traffic against high-leverage SEC arms moving forward.
