OU Baseball Ends Season In Loss To South Carolina

The Oklahoma Sooners and South Carolina Gamecocks took the field Monday to complete Sunday's game that was postponed due to rain, but even with the new day to finish the game, OU's season ended earlier than they would have liked.

The Sooners fell behind Monday afternoon to the two-time defending South Carolina Gamecocks and couldn't recover in a 5-1 loss.

"Give South Carolina credit," said OU head coach Sunny Golloway. "They put the ball on the carpet and forced the issue. They can beat you in a number of different ways."

The win moves the Gamecocks back into the College World Series, their third straight trip to Omaha and 11th CWS appearance overall.

The game resumed Monday in the sixth after 5 ½ scoreless innings were played Sunday but postponed due to heavy rain.

OU had a chance to take control early as the Sooners had one on and one out with Max White at the plate. South Carolina pitcher Tyler Webb then dealt nine straight balls to OU to load the bases for Cody Reine. He took two strikes then fouled off five pitches before flying out to right ending the inning and the Sooners threat.

The Gamecocks used the seventh to take control and break open the shutout.

South Carolina's Connor Bright leadoff with a double then Tanner English laid down a two-strike sacrifice bunt that was fielded by Oklahoma first baseman Evan Mistitch. He overthrew the ball to third in an attempt to get the lead runner and instead allowed him to score and English to advance to second.

English scored on Okert's ball-four wild pitch to leadoff hitter Joey Pankake.

Mistich made up for his error when he connected on a single to right center scoring Garrett Carey from second for OU's only run of the game making it 2-1 at the end of seven frames.

The Gamecocks added insurance runs in the eighth to seal the win. With two outs, English brought around Casey Matthews with a single between first and second. Later, USC second baseman Chase Vergason doubled to clear the bases adding two more runs to make it 5-1.

Oklahoma threatened again in the bottom of the eighth after Erik Ross led off with a single and advanced to second on a misplayed ball. White and Matt Oberste though were both called on third strikes before Reine filed out to center ending the frame.

USC closer Matt Price retired OU catcher Dylan Neal on a check-swing, called third strike to end the game.

Oklahoma ends the season at 42-25 while South Carolina improves to 45-17.

"We are going to hang our hat on the fact that we have Jonathan Gray and Dillon Overton back next year," said Coach Golloway after the game. "There will be a time for Oklahoma baseball to be reckoned with. It won't be today. Today is about South Carolina."