Gamecocks can't collect enough big hits

OMAHA, Neb. — South Carolina finally scored in its College World Series opener, for the first time since Ronald Reagan's first term. Merely scoring wasn't enough, however, to prevent the school from the familiar territory of the loser's bracket.

The Gamecocks had an abundance of opportunities to score plenty more than the three runs they got, and it cost them in a 4-3 loss to Oklahoma that took most of Sunday because of storm after storm in the area.

Photo Gallery

2010 - Game 1 USC/Oklahoma

Oklahoma held on for a 4-3 victory over South Carolina in the rain-plagued College World Series game on Sunday night. The start of the game was delayed 4 hours, 15 minutes, and play was halted for an additional 2:01 by rain and lightning in the middle of the sixth inning.

'We made a pretty good run,' USC coach Ray Tanner said. 'We just couldn't get the big hit.'

South Carolina, which will play the Clemson-Arizona State loser at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in an elimination game, left the bases loaded in the eighth and ninth innings.

Both times the final out of the inning — Brady Thomas' liner to right field and Adrian Morales' fly ball to center — came on the first pitch of an at-bat, after the pitcher had walked the previous batter.

Earlier in the ninth, USC right fielder Whit Merrifield, currently struggling in key spots, fouled out meekly with the bases loaded. Center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., who had homered earlier in the game to extend his hit streak to 17 games, was then essentially pitched around with the bases loaded.

That made it a one-run game, with Morales up against Sooners closer Ryan Duke. Morales lifted the first pitch into center field to end the game — one that lasted more than 8½ hours, with six hours and 16 minutes of weather delays incorporated.

'That was not an easy day for either team,' Sooners coach Sunny Golloway said. 'I kept looking at my watch.'

With Christian Walker's solo homer in the top of the second, USC ended a 46-inning scoreless streak in its CWS openers, dating back to a game in 1982 against Stanford.

Including that one, the Gamecocks (48-16) have now lost seven consecutive opening games in the College World Series. That hasn't prohibited ultimate success, however. USC has still managed a .500 record (17-17) in its nine trips to Rosenblatt Stadium.

Clemson and Arizona State were scheduled to play Sunday evening, but the event was doing well Sunday to get one game in. The teams are scheduled to play today at 11 a.m., but there is more rain in the forecast.

The Sooners (50-16) will play the Clemson-Arizona State winner Tuesday night.

The winning run scored in the fourth inning, on Oklahoma shortstop Caleb Bushyhead's two-out RBI single. Bushyhead provided the Sooners' second run, too, on a second-inning home run off Blake Cooper.

Cooper (12-2) has allowed a home run in each of his past five starts. He still battled through five innings, though, giving up three runs. The senior was lifted when the second round of rain and lightning delayed the game for two hours, from 8 p.m. Eastern until 10 p.m.

The game was initially set to begin at 2 p.m., but was delayed four hours and 15 minutes until 6:25 p.m.

When the teams emerged, the Gamecocks trailed by a run. And they had their chances.

Thomas represented the tying run at second with one out in the seventh, but Bobby Haney and pinch hitter Nick Ebert struck out to end the inning.

The Gamecocks had the bases loaded and two out in the eighth, after consecutive walks by Oklahoma reliever Jeremy Erben. But Thomas lined the first pitch he saw from Erben to Sooners right fielder Cody Reine.

Additional coverage
South Carolina Gamecocks

'We needed that ball to find a glove,' Golloway said, 'and it did.'

Oklahoma slugger Garrett Buechele gave the Sooners an insurance run with a monster home run in the eighth, to make it 4-2, but South Carolina responded in the ninth by consecutive singles from Kyle Enders and pinch hitter Robert Beary.

Adam Matthews struck out, Merrifield popped out and Morales flied out, though, to end a long day in disappointing fashion for the Gamecocks.

Reach Travis Haney at thaney@postandcourier.com, check out the Gamecocks blog at postandcourier.com/blogs/gamecocks and follow him on Twitter (@gamecocksblog).