GAME 11
By: Jacob Thimjon
June 22: Oklahoma Sooners sluggers Peyton Graham (20), John Spikerman (8), Kendall Pettis (7), Blake Robertson (26) and Tanner Tredaway take part in batting practice before Game 11 showdown vs. the Texas A&M Aggies at the Men’s College World Series
OMAHA, Neb.- The Oklahoma Sooners have been a team that has loved embracing the underdog role at the Men’s College World Series. Sooners head coach Skip Johnson said it was fitting that a man named David helped propel his “Team of Davids” to its second win over the Texas A&M Aggies at the Men’s College World Series with a 5-1 win.
“He was just a bulldog on the mound,” Oklahoma catcher Jimmy Crooks said when referring to Oklahoma starting pitcher David Sandlin’s performance in Game 11 vs the Aggies.
Sandlin, who surrendered four earned runs in one-third of an inning pitched out of the bullpen against the Aggies in Game One of the MCWS, set a new career-high in strikeouts with 12. Sandlin surpassed his previous career-high of 10 set earlier this season against the Kansas State Wildcats during the Big 12 championship on May 28.
Sandlin said his previous relief outing against the Aggies in Game One helped him with his mental preparation for his Game 11 start.
“It just got me ready for the atmosphere, and just trust everything I had,” Sandlin said.
Crooks started the scoring for the Sooners in the bottom of the first inning, hitting his ninth home run of the season; a 348-foot three-run home run to right field to give the Sooners an early 3-0 lead.
“It’s really important for us to score first; our approach is to be aggressive and just do our thing,” Crooks said.
A defensive miscue by the Aggies gave the Sooners a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning. Texas A&M’s first baseman Jack Moss committed an error at first base by dropping a throw from Aggies relief pitcher Jacob Palisch. Sooner shortstop Petyon Graham, who reached second base with a double down the left-field line earlier in the inning, scored from second base on the error.
The Aggies had their first two men reach in the top of the fourth inning, but three straight strikeouts by Sandlin got the Sooners out of the jam in the top of the 4th inning.
Johnson said Sandlin’s ability to work into and out of trouble depended on his pitch execution
“For him to focus like that in the middle of the game, in that environment was a high elite level of focus and concentration,” Johnson said.
The Sooners continued to excel offensively. Oklahoma center fielder Tanner Tredaway singled to left field to score right fielder John Spikerman to extend the Oklahoma lead to 5-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning.
The Aggies cut the Sooner lead to 5-1 in the top of the sixth inning when first baseman Dylan Rock hit his 19th home run of the season into the left-center field bleachers.
The Sooners bullpen pitched two shutout innings to finish off the Sooners’ 5-1 victory to improve Oklahoma to 45-22 on the season and advance to the championship series of the MCWS for the first time since 1994.
“Just really proud of our baseball team and what they’ve done; a team with a bunch of David’s Johnson said.
Texas A&M finishes its season at 44-20 under first-year head coach Jim Schlossnagle.
Schlossnagle said the accomplishments of the Aggies this season will live on for years to come.
“They will forever be remembered hopefully as the team that reignited Texas A&M baseball,” Schlossnagle said, “I’m really proud to be a part of this team.”
GAME 12
By: Jacob Thimjon
Behind big hits and stellar pitching performances, the Arkansas Razorbacks defeated the Ole Miss Rebels 3-2 in a down-to-the-wire instant classic in Wednesday’s Game 12 at the Men’s College World Series. The two teams will meet Thursday in a winner-take-all game with a berth in the MCWS championship series on the line.
Conor Noland (8-5; 3.75 earned run average) will start Thursday for the Razorbacks, while Dylan Delucia (7-2; 4.07 ERA) will start for the Rebels.
“Great win for our team; back against the wall and a lot of drama at the end,” Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said.
Arkansas right fielder Chris Lanzilli got the Razorbacks out to an early 1-0 in the top of the third inning when he launched his 10th home run of the season into the left-center field bleachers just beyond the glove of Rebel outfielder Kevin Graham.
The Rebels, however, were quick to respond in the bottom of the third inning when Ole Miss designated hitter Kemp Alderman hit a solo home run of his own to left field to tie the score at 1-all.
Arkansas’s designated hitter Brady Slavens put the Razorbacks back in front 2-1 in the top of the fifth, hitting his 16th home run of the season over the wall in dead center field.
Both teams were carried by their pitching staff. Arkansas starter Hagen Smith pitched five innings, allowing one earned run, four walks and recording eight strikeouts. Rebels starter John Gaddis pitched five innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits while surrendering two walks and recording four strikeouts. The teams combined for eight hits through the first seven innings.
Arkansas third baseman Cayden Wallace hit a line-drive double down the left-field line that tipped off the glove of Ole Miss third baseman Garret Wood in the top of the eighth inning. The ball traveled slightly down the left-field line after tipping off of Wood’s glove and allowed Wallace to advance safely to second. Ole Miss challenged the safe call at second base, and after replay video review, the call of safe stood.
Arkansas’s next batter, catcher Michael Turner, singled to left field to score Wallace from second to extend the Razorback lead to 3-1.
The Rebels escaped further trouble in the eighth. The Razorbacks loaded the bases, but Rebels reliever Jack Dougherty struck out Slavens and pinch hitter Kendall Diggs to end the Arkansas threat.
“Jack got back-to-back strikeouts that were huge that, you know, gave us a shot in the ninth,” Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said.
Ole Miss loaded the bases trailing 3-1 with no one out in the bottom of the ninth inning. Alderman began the Rebels’ rally with a single to right field, and second baseman Peyton Chatagnier and catcher Hayden Dunhurst were each hit by a pitch.
Justin Bench had a two-out, infield single that scored Alderman and cut the Arkansas lead to 3-2.
Arkansas reliever Zack Morris got Ole Miss shortstop Jacob Gonzalez to fly out to left field to secure the save and 3-2 win for the Razorbacks.
“It’s disappointing bases loaded bottom of the ninth, and we have a chance to win it,” Bianco said.
Bianco said Thursday’s elimination game is a chance for his team to appreciate the opportunity in front of them.
“This is what you play for, appreciate the moment and try your best at that moment,” he said.