NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Bryce Madron, Michael Snyder and Scott Mudler had two RBIs apiece, reliever Jeff Lodes struck out seven over seven innings and host Oklahoma beat Connecticut 6-4 Sunday night to fight off elimination at the Norman Regional.
Oklahoma (40-20), which beat Duke 4-3 in an elimination game earlier in the day, plays the Huskies again on Monday for the regional title and a berth in the super regionals. UConn (34-24) beat the Sooners 4-1 on Saturday, knocking them into the losers’ bracket.
Jaxon Willits led off the eighth with a single and moved to second when Jackson Nicklaus drew a walk. Kieran Finnegan was replaced on the mound by Braden Quinn. Kendall Pettis flied out before Mudler singled through the right side to drive in Willits. Isaiah Lane pinch hit for Rocco Garza-Gongora and drew a walk to load the bases and, after an infield fly by John Spikerman, Madron hit a two-run double to center field, giving Oklahoma a 6-3 lead.
Caleb Shpur led off the bottom of the first with a home run and Paul Tammaro scored on an RBI single by Luke Broadhurst to give UConn a 2-0 lead.
Mudler hit a single up the middle in the top of the second to drive in Nicklaus and cut Oklahoma’s deficit in half.
Maddix Dalena walked to lead off the home half of the second and scored on a two-out single by Korey Morton to put UConn up 3-1.
Michael Snyder hit a two-run homer for the Sooners in the top of the third to tie the game at 3-all.
UConn’s Tyler Minick hit a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth to cap the Huskies’ scoring.
Brendan Girton gave up three runs on three hits with two walks, a hit-by-pitch and a wild pitch in the first inning and was replaced by Lodes (2-1), who allowed an unearned run on three hits over seven innings. Ryan Lambert needed just seven pitches to induce three groundouts in the ninth and earn his first save of the season.
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