Clemson hangs on to beat Oklahoma 6-4, move within 1 win of reaching CWS finals

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Clemson wins 6-4, needs 1 win to make CWS finals

OMAHA, Neb. — Clemson took advantage of Oklahoma’s fourth-inni99ng pitching meltdown and a costly error in the fifth to beat the Sooners 6-4 at the College World Series on Wednesday.

Oklahoma scored each of the last three innings but couldn’t come all the way back from the 6-1 deficit it faced when the game was suspended after the fifth inning Tuesday because of weather.

The Tigers (45-23) move to the Bracket 2 championship game on Friday against either Oklahoma (50-17) or South Carolina. Those teams play Thursday, and the winner would have to beat Clemson twice to make it to next week’s best-of-three finals.

Clemson held on when Oklahoma looked ready to break out when the game resumed Wednesday afternoon.

Will Lamb struck out the side after Oklahoma’s Cameron Seitzer homered leading off the seventh.

Tyler Ogle’s high fly in the eighth narrowly stayed inside the right-field foul pole to cut Clemson’s lead to 6-3. Danny Black’s two-out double put runners at second and third. Dominic Leone came on for Clemson and walked the dangerous Seitzer to load the bases before getting pinch hitter Casey Johnson to pop out.

Chris Ellison singled leading off the OU ninth and came home on Ogle’s double off Alex Frederick. But Cody Reine, the potential tying run, flew out to end the game. Frederick earned his second save of the CWS and fourth of the season.

Clemson starter Scott Weismann (9-2) allowed a run, three hits and two walks over five innings before the weather halted play Tuesday night.

The Sooners’ Bobby Shore (10-5) allowed three baserunners over the first three innings, then things unraveled on him.

He threw 14 straight balls to start the fourth and walked the bases full. Light-hitting Spencer Kieboom’s two-run single put the Tigers up 4-1.

Things got worse for Oklahoma in the fifth. Reliever J.R. Robinson was about to get out of the inning after Kyle Parker’s two-out triple, but Brad Miller’s easy fly ball glanced off left fielder Max White’s glove. White’s error allowed Parker to score, and John Hinson followed with his third hit of the game to make it 6-1.