Oklahoma Pulls Away from Nebraska in NCAA Tournament Opener

Oklahoma drew national attention by choosing not to start its ace pitcher, Malachi Witherspoon, against Nebraska. The move did not seem like a risk Friday night as the Sooners dominated the Huskers 7-4 in their NCAA tournament opener.

The game was delayed by three and a half hours due to storms in the area, but Oklahoma’s right-hander Witherspoon quickly made up for lost time. He threw six innings of shutout ball, striking out nine and allowing just one hit. The dominant performance helped Oklahoma take an early lead, which it never relinquished.

Nebraska fell to 8-8 in regional openers since the current format began in 1999. The team will need to win its next four games to continue its season past this weekend.

Husker coach Will Bolt attributed his team’s struggles to uneven defensive plays and free passes, which allowed Oklahoma to pull away. Despite a few bright spots, including a two-run homer by outfielder Drew Dickerson, Nebraska’s offense was unable to catch up.

The Sooners will advance to face No. 5 national seed North Carolina on Saturday. Oklahoma’s victory marked its 36th win of the season and sets up a intriguing matchup against a talented Tar Heels team.

Source: https://omaha.com/sports/huskers/baseball/article_2d11b650-6102-5821-b85f-cba0b7f9d67a.html