Arizona State needed three more outs at Kimrey Family Stadium to clinch its ninth straight win, but the No. 13 Sooners' offense wanted revenge.

Oklahoma (8-1) faced ASU (8-1) on Wednesday, Feb. 25, securing a 4-3 victory in Norman, Oklahoma. A heroic late effort from the top of the Sooners' order launched the team to victory in a cinematic ending to split the series a piece.

Here are three takeaways from Wednesday’s dual.

SOONER OR LATER

Entering the bottom of the ninth, the Sooner offense had mustered just three hits with two runs to show on the scoreboard.

After junior catcher Brendan Brock cruised around the bases in the second and two singles in the third from junior third-basemen Camden Johnson and senior center-fielder Cayden Brumbaugh, the Sooners went down in order 15 consecutive times. 

The bats struggled to find any gap in the diamond until Johnson strolled to the plate in the ninth against ASU junior right-handed pitcher Derek Schaefer.

The Sooner third baseman pounced on a 1-2 count fastball for a leadoff triple and represented the tying run.

Johnson’s triple marked the second extra-base hit tallied by the Sooner offense in the contest, but it surely wasn’t the last.

Following Johnson was junior catcher Deiten Lachance, who doubled down the left-field line, tying the game at three.

Ultimately, Sooner junior shortstop Jaxon Willits drove in Lachance with his respective double, avoiding a sweep at home and spoiling a Sun Devil victory.

SIZZLING OUT

The Sun Devil offense started its day right where it left off, scoring three runs in the top of the first.

Sophomore left fielder Landon Hairston fired two long balls on Tuesday and resumed his performance with a leadoff double.

Sooner junior left-handed pitcher Gavyn Jones witnessed the explosive performance Tuesday by the Sun Devils, causing him to pitch cautiously after surrendering the double to Hairston.

The junior pitcher faced an early bases-loaded situation with only one out due to an error and a free pass being awarded, which allowed junior center-fielder Dominic Longo an early opportunity to cash in runs.

Jones watched Longo stroll to first after his yet another walk, breaking the scoreless game at just the fifth batter.

Later in the inning, a single and a fielder's choice decision granted the Sun Devils a three-run lead, which accounted for their only runs of the game.

From then on, ASU produced a runner in scoring position two times, with only one extra-base hit occurring in the sixth with no runners on.

LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE

While Schaefer suffered his first and the team’s first loss of the season on a blown save, the loss did not tell the full story.

Before entering the ninth, the four Sun Devil arms surrendered just three hits, two earned runs and two walks.

Junior right-handed pitcher Wyatt Halvorson dialed in his routine today, posting three strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings pitched, allowing no runs.

Halvorson generated weak contact, throwing 42 pitches and keeping the offense in the hunt to tally more runs without extra pressure.

Backing Halvorson’s performance happened to be senior left-handed pitcher Sean Fitzpatrick, who tossed just 20 total pitches but racked up three strikeouts.

The bullpen arms followed sophomore right-handed pitcher Taylor Penn, who pitched decently but struggled in a similar department to yesterday’s ASU starter, senior right-handed pitcher Kole Klecker.

Penn occupied the mound, retiring the first five Sooner batters he faced in order before allowing a home run off the barrel of Brock in the second inning.

A walk and a single succeeded Brock’s long ball in the third, ending Penn’s day with 2 1/3 innings pitched.

Minimal hits, loud contact and free passes generating runs blemished Penn’s day.

Yet the Sun Devil arms dominated throughout the bulk of the contest against a ranked opponent, painting a promising future for the team down in Tempe.