OMAHA — Clemson finished what it started the night before at the College World Series, but not before getting a scare from Oklahoma.
The Tigers, who used an OU pitching meltdown and costly error to build a five-run lead before the rain and lightning came in the fifth inning Tuesday night, held on to beat the Sooners 6-4 on Wednesday in the completion of a suspended game.
The win was a relief for Clemson after having its momentum stopped by the weather.
“You kind of left the job undone,” Tigers coach Jack Leggett said. “We wanted to finish that game off last night because we were feeling pretty good. It’s tough to go home and have to start your batteries up again.”
Oklahoma scored in each of the last three innings, but couldn’t come all the way back.
The Tigers (45-23) moved to the Bracket 2 championship game Friday against Oklahoma (50-17) or South Carolina. Those teams play today, and the winner would have to beat Clemson twice to make it to next week’s best-of-three finals.
The Sooners, who have 27 come-from-behind wins this season, chipped away the last three innings, getting solo home runs from Cameron Seitzer and Tyler Ogle. But they never could get the big hit with runners on base.
Will Lamb struck out the side after Seitzer homered leading off the seventh.
Ogle’s high fly in the eighth narrowly stayed inside the right-field foul pole to cut Clemson’s lead to 6-3.
Chris Ellison singled leading off the Sooners’ ninth and came home on Ogle’s double off Alex Frederick. But Cody Reine, the potential tying run, flied out to end the game.
TCU 11, Florida State 7
Matt Curry hit a go-ahead grand slam in TCU’s eight-run eighth and the Horned Frogs eliminated the Seminoles.
The Horned Frogs trailed 7-3 entering the eighth, and it was a two-run game when Curry came to bat against closer Mike McGee (4-1).
The dramatic victory carried TCU to the Bracket 1 championship game in its first CWS appearance. The Horned Frogs will play UCLA on Friday, needing to beat the Bruins twice to reach next week’s finals.
