In Chapel Hill, N.C., Oklahoma secured a 7-4 win against Nebraska in the Chapel Hill Regional on Friday night, thanks in large part to Malachi Witherspoon’s stellar pitching performance. Witherspoon delivered six innings of scoreless pitching, allowing just three hits while striking out nine.
As the No. 2 seed in the region, Oklahoma (36-20) will face off against the regional host, North Carolina, on Saturday. Meanwhile, No. 3 Nebraska (32-28) faces a must-win game against No. 4 Holy Cross after suffering defeat. Earlier in the day, North Carolina bested Holy Cross 4-0.
Oklahoma’s offense was powered by Drew Dickerson’s two-run homer in the second inning, giving them an early 3-0 lead, which was extended by Easton Carmichael with a solo home run in the third inning. Trey Gambill furthered the lead to 4-0 with an RBI single in the fifth inning, and Kyle Branch contributed with a two-run single during Oklahoma’s productive seventh inning.
Nebraska’s Max Buettenback created a spark for his team with a bases-loaded triple in the eighth inning, accounting for all four of Nebraska’s runs in the game.
The game was delayed by 2 1/2 hours due to rain but eventually commenced, seeing Jackson Brockett (4-4) take the loss for Nebraska. Oklahoma’s Dylan Crooks closed the game, earning his 15th save of the season.
Oklahoma is marking its 42nd appearance in the NCAA tournament, while Nebraska, after triumphing in the Big Ten Tournament as the eighth seed, is celebrating its 19th NCAA tournament appearance.