Sooners Explode In Ninth To Advance To Super Regionals

The Oklahoma baseball team simply enjoys playing baseball in the state of Virginia during the NCAA tournament.

The Sooners, playing in Virginia for the third time in the past four years, advanced to the Super Regionals Sunday night by knocking off Virginia Tech, 10-4 to win the Blacksburg Regional.

Oklahoma has now won eight straight games dating back to the regular season finale at Kansas State, as well as two regionals and a super regional in the state of Virginia since 2010.

The Sooners will now move on to take on LSU in Baton Rouge, La. in the best-of-three Super Regionals.

Jake Fisher picked up the win for the Sooners, while Eddie Campbell took the loss for the Hokies.

Oklahoma was clinging to a 4-3 lead heading into the ninth inning before exploding for six runs on six hits in the top of the inning that clinched the game and regional for OU.

The Hokies struck first in the second inning. With two outs, Chad Morgan doubled to right field and came around to score on a single by Ryan Burns in the next at bat.

Oklahoma went hitless until the fourth inning when Jack Mayfield singled to right field with one out in the inning. However, Mayfield was erased when Max White grounded into a double play that ended the inning.

The Hokies added to their lead in the bottom of the fourth on a solo home run from Andrew Rash.

The Sooners finally broke through in the top of the sixth innings, scoring four runs on five hits, a fielder's choice, and several errors by the Virginia Tech defense. A bad throw to the plate allowed Craig Aikin to score, and a botched rundown attempt allowed Matt Oberste to score, putting the Sooners in front, 4-2.

Virginia Tech scored a run in the bottom of the frame, but would have had more if not for two spectacular plays from the OU defense. First, Garrett Carey barehanded a high chopper to third and gunned down Mark Zagunis at the plate. Later, Morgan singled to center to score one run, but White threw a laser to catcher Anthony Hermelyn who blocked the plate and tagged out Rash in a big collision at home.