Oklahoma Baseball: Sooners Roll Virginia Tech, Punch Ticket to College World Series

Oklahoma is Omaha certain.

After dropping the second recreation of their best-of-three Tremendous Regionals collection on Saturday, Oklahoma met No. 4 Virginia Tech within the rubber match on Sunday with a spot within the School World Collection on the road.

The Sooners, with their backs towards the wall in a winner-take-all state of affairs, delivered one in all their finest performances of all the season, knocking off the Hokies 11-2 at Atlantic Union Financial institution Park to punch their ticket to Omaha.

Cade Horton, Tanner Tredaway, Kendall Pettis and Trevin Michael all delivered championship performances to energy the Sooners again to the School World Collection for the primary time since 2010.

Horton obtained the beginning within the pivotal matchup and as soon as once more delivered in spectacular style. The Norman native labored six-plus rock stable innings, permitting simply two hits and two earned runs whereas putting out eight.

Simply as he did within the Huge 12 title recreation towards Texas and within the regionals towards Florida, Horton rose to the event. 

That was definitely made a tad simpler by Oklahoma getting off to a quick begin on Sunday, putting for 2 runs within the opening body on a pair of solo house runs.

First it was the Sooners’ star shortstop, Peyton Graham, who continued his implausible season by connecting on his twentieth lengthy ball of the 12 months.

Tredaway, the Sooners’ senior middle fielder, then adopted him later within the body, starting what would go on to be a monster day for the OU veteran: two house runs, two doubles, three RBIs and three runs scored.

The rating remained 2-0 into the third, the place the Hokies obtained proper again in it with a two-run blast off the bat of Carson DeMartini, night the sport at 2-2.

However, in arguably the pivotal second of the sport, the Sooners instantly responded within the prime of the fourth.

Tredaway jumped OU again in entrance with one other solo house run, to make it 3-2 in favor of Oklahoma.

The Sooners didn’t cease there, as they added two extra runs on a Brett Squires RBI single and a sacrifice fly from Kendall Pettis.

OU took a 5-2 lead into the fifth,  the place the Sooners bulked up their lead even additional.

Oklahoma put two extra on the board with RBI doubles from Blake Robertson and Tredaway to carry a commanding 7-2 benefit.

The Sooners stored on scoring within the sixth and seventh innings, plating a run in every body on a Pettis solo homer and a Jimmy Crooks RBI single.

Pettis’ contributions went nicely past the house run. He additionally made a spectacular catch in left discipline — flipping over the foul line fence into the Hokies’ bullpen — and later made a operating, diving catch in left-center.

OU held a 9-2 lead heading into the seventh inning stretch.

The Hokies threatened to climb again in it a bit within the backside of the seventh, with runners on first and second base and just one out.

However left hander Chazz Martinez escaped bother with an enormous strikeout adopted by a groundout to maintain the lead at seven runs.

The next inning, freshman Jackson Nicklaus obtained in on the house run social gathering with a solo shot of his personal, giving OU a 10-2 lead.  

Nearer Trevin Michael got here in with no person out within the eighth and mowed the Hokies down. After the Sooners manufactured one other run throughout within the prime of the ninth, Michael completed the job within the remaining body, finishing a six-up, six-down look out of the bullpen. 

The win improves Oklahoma to 42-22 on the 12 months and advances the Sooners to the School World Collection in Omaha for the primary time since 2010.

The Sooners will start play within the CWS towards the No. 5 Texas A&M Aggies on Friday. Sport time and tv designation shall be introduced within the coming days.