Kid Horton still had something left in the tank.
The rookie red jersey thrower put on a brilliant performance during OU’s 6-2 win over Notre Dame on Sunday in the College World Series. Horton had 11 career-high strikes in six runs, but eventually started losing steam.
After allowing a home race twice at the top of the sixth inning that trimmed the OU’s lead to 5-2, Horton was met by coach Skip Johnson on the hill for a discussion.
It clearly went well.
Johnson chose not to replace Horton, who needed someone else to finish the inning, and that decision paid off. Horton Brooks faced Coetzee III of Notre Dame in the next match, taking the first hit by hitting a 2-2 account.
It marked the end of the day for Horton, who allowed the OU’s Bullpen to close out the last three innings to secure the victory.
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“I’ve said it to a lot of people, one of the best beginner shooters I’ve ever been around,” Johnson said of Horton. “It’s not the same as watching a top player, how fast (Horton) picks things up. And I’m not saying he’s a top player, by any means, but he will have that opportunity one day.”
After hitting five of the first 11 hitters he encountered, Horton got some help from the Sooners bats at the bottom of the third inning.
The first round came courtesy of Tanner Treadway, who drilled a slide and sent it into midfield for an RBI single. Wallace Clark then handed the RBI one of his two hits later to give the OU a 2-0 lead.
Soon, they continued to roll at the bottom of the fifth inning.
Clarke brought in a round with a hit, and a throw foul to first base allowed another to get home sooner. Then Jackson Nicklaus added a single from RBI that increased the lead to 5-0.
Second-stroke Homer by David Lamanna of Notre Dame made a 5-2 contest at the top of the sixth inning, but OU hit back at the bottom of the frame.
With his father, Chad Treadaway, watching from the stands on Father’s Day, Tanner Treadway sent a bullet in the middle for the second RBI song in the competition.
“I really like to keep things simple,” Tanner Treadway said. “I just try to swing on good pitches and try not to get out of my zone.”
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After Garrett Goodman’s first-round appearance, Trevin Michael secured the final six finals on the hill.
Tanner Tredaway scored two RBIs and two runs on the 3-for-4 hit. Clarke cracked two RBIs and one run while going 1 for 3 on the board.
Peyton Graham also went to a 4 for 4 steal twice. He is the first player to score four hits and two steals in a CWS game since Barry Bonds in 1984.
The OU will face the winner of the Texas A&M Championship and seeded #5 Notre Dame on Wednesday at 1 p.m. as the only undefeated team remaining in their arc, the OU must lose twice to be eliminated.
With just one win, the Sooners will qualify for the College World Series Tour for the first time since winning the title in 1994.
“The thing we have is we want to prove people wrong and make a statement,” Tanner Treadway said. “We want to do it here…we’re rolling now, and we’ll keep riding it.”
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Live updates between OU and Notre Dame
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Top of the page first: Blake Robertson starts the game with a web gem
Notre Dame’s Ryan Cole threw the ball into the first pitch of the match, and Blake Robertson caught the ball as it fell into the opponent’s bunker.
Lower third: sooner first strike
OU took the scoreboard first with a pair of RBI singles from Tanner Tredaway and Wallace Clark to make it a 2-0 contest.
Lower fifth: sooner stack it
After scoring two unearned goals by Wallace Clark, Jackson Nikos extended the OU’s lead to 5-0 with a single RBI.
Sixth place: Notre Dame gets the plate
David Lamana’s double at home cut the difference to 5-2.
Sixth lowest: Tredaway hits again
Tredaway extended OU’s lead to 6-2 with his second RBI of the day.
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