Cowboys Wins Super Regional Opener

Saturday, June 11

Columbia, SC

2:00 PM

Oklahoma State University

40-20

South Carolina

46-17

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Oklahoma State	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	3	5	8	0
South Carolina	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	6	0

Photo by: Juan Blas

June 11, 2016 | Cowboy Baseball

Box Score

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Oklahoma State is within one victory of a College World Series berth after knocking off South Carolina, 5-1, in Saturday's NCAA Columbia Super Regional opener at Founders Park.

With the win, its fourth in four NCAA tourney games in 2016, the Cowboys improved to 40-20 and will now face South Carolina (46-17) in the second game of the best-of-three series Sunday at 2 p.m. (CST).

Saturday's outcome also marked OSU's first Super Regional win since 2007 when the Pokes won the second game of the NCAA Louisville Super Regional, and the Cowboys have now won at least 40 games in three of head coach Josh Holliday's four seasons at the helm.

Thomas Hatch continued his dominance on the mound Saturday as he hurled seven shutout innings against the Gamecocks, allowing just four hits – all singles – and improving to 8-2 on the season. Trey Cobb allowed USC's lone run over the final two innings but earned his fourth save.

Offensively, a pair of home runs sparked the Cowboys. Ryan Sluder led off the third inning with his fourth round tripper of the season to give OSU an early lead, and Collin Theroux helped seal the win with a three-run blast in the ninth.

"We got excellent starting pitching from Thomas (Hatch), and Trey Cobb came out of the bullpen and did a great job," Holliday said. "We played good defense, which was important. We got a big swing of the bat late in the game by Collin (Theroux) to take a two-run lead to a five-run lead. There's a big difference between a two-run lead and a five-run lead."

In what was a pitcher's duel between Hatch and USC starter Braden Webb for much of the day, OSU was able to plate a pair of runs early.

After Sluder put the Pokes up 1-0 with his homer in the third, OSU used a two-out rally to double its lead. J.R. Davis got it started when he was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a passed ball, and Corey Hassel then stepped to the plated and delivered an RBI single to push the advantage to two.

In the fourth, OSU came up with a big defensive play to keep the Gamecocks off the scoreboard. With runners on first and second and two outs, Jonah Bride ripped a single that deflected off shortstop Donnie Walton and into short center field. But an alert Davis picked up the ball and fired home to Theroux, who tagged out Gene Cone at the plate the inning.

After seven shutout frames in which he walked two and struck out three, Hatch yielded to Garrett Williams to open the eighth. But Williams promptly walked DC Arendas on four pitches, bringing Cobb out of the bullpen.

And Cobb would get the job done, retiring the tying run three consecutive times on two flyouts and a strikeout to end the threat.

In the ninth, OSU added valuable insurance runs. Dustin Williams led off the inning with a single, one of his two hits on the day, and a one-out walk to Jon Littell brought Theroux to the plate. After working the count full against USC reliever Tayler Widener, Theroux crushed a pitch over the left field wall for his sixth homer of the season as the Cowboys took a 5-0 lead.

The Gamecocks recorded their lone run on a home run by Dom Thompson-Williams to lead off the bottom of the ninth, but Cobb picked up a pair strikeouts and left two runners on base to seal the win.

"These kids are having fun and letting it ride, and that's the only way you can play effectively this time of year – do all the same things you've tried to do from day one," said Holliday, who is trying to lead OSU to its first College World Series since 1999. "The kids have to continue to stay engaged and play the game one pitch at a time."