FROM PRESS RELEASE
OMAHA, Neb. – One run was all Oklahoma State needed for a 1-0 victory over UC Santa Barbara in the 2016 Men’s College World Series at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha.
Both OSU’s Thomas Hatch and UCSB’s Shane Bieber pitched complete games. Hatch (9-2) earned the win for the Cowboys. He gave up five hits and struck out seven batters.
Bieber (12-4) recorded the loss despite scattering six hits over eight innings and striking out six.
OSU scored the only run of the game in the fourth inning. With runners on first and second, Garrett Benge hit a single to score Corey Hassel. The Cowboys threatened to continue the rally, with runners on second and third and no outs, but UCSB shortstop Clay Fisher snagged Conor Costello’s line drive and stepped on second to double up the Cowboys and effectively end their scoring threat.
The Gauchos’ best chance to score came in the second inning, when JJ Muno doubled to left center and Dempsey Grover followed with a single through the left side. But the two following batters failed to convert the chance.
OSU’s J.R. Davis led all batters with two hits.
The Cowboys (42-20) advance to play the winner of Arizona-Miami on Monday at 6 p.m. central. The Gauchos (42-19-1) will face the loser of Arizona-Miami in an elimination game Monday at 1 p.m.
