Oklahoma vs. Georgia

OMAHA (Interstat) — Oklahoma’s Dasan Harris hit two home runs and drove in five runs, Trey Gambill collected four hits with a homer and three RBIs, and Jason Walk added two solo shots as the Sooners defeated Georgia 11-4 in a College World Series playoff game Wednesday at Charles Schwab Field.

Harris, the top star for Oklahoma, went 2 for 5 with a two-run homer in the fourth inning and another two-run blast in the eighth. Gambill homered in the fourth, doubled and singled twice, and Walk went 2 for 4 with homers in the third and eighth innings. The Sooners amassed 15 hits to Georgia’s six and improved to 41-22, while the Bulldogs fell to 53-14.

Oklahoma struck first in the top of the third when Walk led off with a homer to center field. The Sooners broke the game open in the fourth. Gambill led off with a solo homer to right, and after B. Brock singled and advanced on a balk, Harris launched a two-run homer to right center, making it 4-0.

Georgia got on the board in the bottom of the fifth. Kolby Branch doubled to center and scored on a single by R. Black. Oklahoma answered in the sixth as Gambill singled, stole second and scored on Harris’ groundout to second, pushing the lead to 5-1.

The Bulldogs capitalized on an error in the bottom of the sixth. After a single by B. Hudson, a strikeout and a walk, LJ Mercurius relieved starter Nick Wesloski. J. Arcamone reached on a fielding error by the first baseman, loading the bases. Branch drew a walk to force in a run, and Black walked to force in another, cutting the deficit to 5-3. T. Phelps then grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.

Oklahoma responded in the seventh. K. Branch walked, D. Lachance singled up the middle and J. Willits doubled down the right-field line to score Branch, making it 6-3.

The Sooners put the game away in the eighth. Brock singled, stole second, and Harris crushed his second homer of the game to right field. Walk followed with a solo homer to right, pushing the lead to 9-3. In the ninth, Lachance singled, Willits doubled and Gambill doubled to right for two more runs, making it 11-3.

Georgia’s Branch homered to left-center in the bottom of the ninth, his second extra-base hit of the game, for the final margin.

Wesloski pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing no hits and one earned run while striking out four. Mercurius worked 3 1/3 innings, giving up no hits and one earned run with two strikeouts. For Georgia, Matt Scott took the loss, allowing four earned runs on five hits in four innings with six strikeouts. Paul Farley gave up four earned runs on six hits in 3 1/3 innings. Joe Nottingham and Grant Edwards each recorded one out without allowing a hit.

The most critical sequence of the game came in the top of the fourth, when Gambill and Harris hit back-to-back homers to turn a 1-0 lead into a 4-0 advantage. The outburst forced Georgia to play from behind and set the tone for Oklahoma’s offensive onslaught. The Sooners never trailed.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Oklahoma 8, Georgia 7. Interstat’s ELO system gave Georgia a 60.80 percent probability to win.