June 14, 2010

Super Regional Scores, Schedules & Capsules

CBI Live
Shore, Shots Send Sooners to Omaha

By Phil Stanton

CollegeBaseballInsider.com Co-Founder

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – It was pitching and power.

Junior right-hander Bobby Shore allowed four hits over eight scoreless innings, and sophomore right fielder Cody Reine hit two of his team’s four home runs, as Oklahoma blanked fifth-seeded Virginia 11-0 Monday in front of 4,801 fans at Davenport Field to win the Super Regional and advance to the College World Series.

The Sooners (49-16) will face South Carolina in the first round of the College World Series this weekend at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb.

“It’s surreal,” said OU head coach Sonny Golloway (left). “We’re going to Omaha the last year at Rosenblatt.”

Shore (10-4) never allowed more than one base-runner in an inning and no Cavalier got past first. He scattered four singles and two walks while striking out five.

“I was in a groove,” Shore said. “I was throwing strikes. I was keeping the ball at the knees, making them hit it weak.”

Ryan Duke pitched the ninth to preserve the shutout.

“It’s so hard sometimes,” Golloway said. “You want something so bad for the student-athletes. I’ve been to Omaha. I got to coach there and I got to be a part of a national championship. You want it so bad for the student-athletes that you’re privileged to coach.”

This will be the 10th College World Series appearance for the Sooners and the first since 1995. OU has won two national championships (1951, 1994). Golloway was an assistant coach on the 1994 title team.

Shore took the mound with a lead as the Sooners got on the board in a big way in the top of the first. Chris Ellison drew a leadoff walk and was forced at second on a fielder’s choice by Max White. Tyler Ogle coaxed a two-out walk before Reine blasted a homer over the bleachers in right to give OU a 3-0 lead.

“It definitely calms the nerves,” Shore said. “You go out there and you’ve got a three-run cushion. They got me three runs and I have to go out there and put up zeroes. That was my goal.”

Cameron Seitzer lined a homer into the netting under the scoreboard in right center in the top of the second to give the Sooners a 4-0 advantage. OU added to its lead in the fifth as Tyler Ogle crushed a ball over the bleachers in left to make it 5-0. Garrett Buechele had a two-run double to cap a three-run sixth as the lead stretched to 8-0.

Reine capped the scoring with another three-run bomb in the eighth, his fourth homer in the past two games.

"I really can’t explain it," Reine said of his recent success. "It’s just one of those things that finds a player now and then. It happened to be me this weekend. It could be anybody else next week"

Reine finished the game with three hits and six RBI. He had two homers and five RBI on Sunday in OU's 10-7 win over Virginia. Reine drove in more runs in the final two games than Virginia scored in the series (11-10).

"Cody is a great player," Shore said. "He didn’t start the season for us, but he came on strong. He’s been clutch in big games. This is the biggest series we’ve had all year and he comes up big."

John Hicks had two hits for the Cavaliers (51-14).

“I’d like to congratulate Oklahoma for winning the series this weekend and going to Omaha,” said Virginia head coach Brian O’Connor. “They’ve gotten hot at the right time which is what it takes to get to Omaha.”

(photos courtesy of OU Media Relations Office)