After losing their first game to Georgia Tech in the Regional round, the Oklahoma Sooners have been unstoppable over the next 9 games going undefeated and one win away from a national championship. For 2 innings on Sunday afternoon, it looked like OU would continue that trend.
OU opened the game as the home team and freshman starter, Xander Mercurius, was as dominant as a pitcher can be as he struck out the 1, 2, and 3 hitters of the Tar Heel lineup.
In the bottom of the 2nd, OU kept up their offensive ways scoring 2 runs. Jason Walk led off the game with a 2 strike base hit then that was followed by a walk by Camden Johnson. During Deiten Lachance’s at bat, a double steal resulted in an errant throw by the UNC catcher as he tried to get Johnson at 2B. Walk scored easily and Johnson went to 3B. After Lachance eventually struck out, SS, Jaxon Willits hit a line drive off the right center field wall for a double bringing in Johnson making it 2-0 where it stood after one inning.
In the top of the 2nd, Mercurius struck out the side after giving up a lead off walk giving him 6 strikeouts through 2.
Unfortunately for the Sooners, the rest of the game was all North Carolina. In the top half of the 3rd, Jake Schaffer of UNC tripled into right field scoring 2. He later scored on a wild pitch by Mercurius making it 3-2 Tar Heels. Mercurius struggle the rest of the inning loading the bases. Fortunately for him, he got out of the inning without allowing another run, but it took him over 50 pitches to do so.
After a scoreless 4th, Mercurius gave up a no doubt, lead off homer to Owen Hull and that was the end of the line for Xander.
Nate Smithburg came in and got the Sooners out of the inning unscathed the rest of the way and through the 6th. In the top of the 7th, Smithburg gave up a 2 run homer to Cooper Nicholson making it 6-2 UNC which is where the game ended up score wise.
The story of the game was the North Carolina pitching. After the shaky 1st inning, UNC starter, Ryan Lynch was outstanding the next 3 innings allowing only 1 Sooner hit. In the top of the 5th, Lynch came out of the game with an apparent injury after just 2 pitches. That’s when the Tar Heels brought in freshman phenom, Cade Glauber, as he went the rest of the way giving up only 1 hit and 2 walks striking out 8 for the win.
For the game the Sooners struck out an astounding 13 times as they couldn’t solve the puzzle the Tar Heel pitchers were throwing.
OU threw a total of 7 pitchers on the day as Skip Johnson played matchups keeping the Sooners in the game as much as possible. The game ended on a double play with 2 Sooners on base and the tying run in the on deck circle.
Glauber threw 65 pitches – by far the most he’s thrown – so it’ll be interesting to see if he’s available on Monday night.
The deciding winner-take-all game 3 of the series will be Monday night at 6:00 p.m. (CT) on ESPN.
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