First it was a Super Regional surprise elimination of No. 1 Tennessee in Knoxville. Then came Friday’s gem of a College World Series opener against perennial power Texas.
Now Notre Dame is suddenly the golden-helmeted darling of the college baseball world heading into Sunday’s winner’s bracket game against Oklahoma at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb.
The Irish (41-15) and Sooners (43-22) are both unseeded underdogs crashing the eight-team, double-elimination CWS tournament and are each two wins away from the final series. Sunday’s winner will advance to play 2 pm Wednesday in the winner’s bracket while the loser will play an elimination game at 2 pm Tuesday.
► Meet the team:Who are these party crashers? The 2022 Notre Dame College World Series baseball team
11:10 pm – FINAL: Oklahoma defeats Notre Dame, 6-2
Notre Dame will play Texas A&M at 2 pm Tuesday (ESPN) in an elimination game. Oklahoma awaits the winner of that game Wednesday at 2 pm (ESPN).
► How they scored:Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma in College World Series second round game
► Three thoughts: A shaky Sunday evening for Irish pushes postseason to brink
10:57 pm – Heading to ninth, Sooners still up 4
10:23 pm – Oklahoma 6, Notre Dame 2, end of the seventh
9:55 pm – Pitching change alert
Horton exits after six innings. It was his best outing of the year. Oklahoma’s Jaret Godman takes over.
9:51 pm – Sooners get one back with two out, end of 6th
9:40 pm – Oklahoma 5, Notre Dame 2, middle of 6th
Horton with 11 strikeouts and a walk through six.
9:36 pm – Notre Dame gets on the board
Wait just a minute. Irish finally get to Horton and show some sixth-inning life with a 2-run homer by catcher David LaManna.
9:28 pm – Oklahoma 5, Notre Dame 0, end of 5th
Strike ’em-out, throw’ em-out double play gets Notre Dame out of the innning.
9:22 pm – Pitching change alert
Notre Dame’s Matt Bedford in for Aidan Tyrell, who is done after three innings, eight hits and five earned runs.
9:19 pm – Sooners score 2 more on SAC bunt
Then stretches lead to 5-0 with RBI single.
9:14 pm – Oklahoma 2, Notre Dame 0, middle of 5th
Irish have just three hits, two of them by Carter Putz.
9:02 pm – Notre Dame ends Sooners threat with crazy play at third base
Uhh … what? That is serious heads-up thinking by Jack Brannigan, not to mention the hose by Brooks Coetzee.
8:56 pm – Defense bails Irish out in bottom of 4th
8:51 pm – Sooners still up by 2
Notre Dame puts two on, but can’t get them home. OU’s Cade Horton up to 7 pcs.
8:39 pm – Oklahoma 2, Notre Dame 0, end of 3rd
8:19 pm – Notre Dame 0, Oklahoma 0, end of 2nd
Tyrell comes in and slams the door with two quick outs.
8:13 pm – Sooners threatening in bottom of 2nd, prompts early Irish pitching change
Tyrell struggles with three walks in 32 pitches. Link Jarrett making a switch with two on and one out.
In is lefthander Aidan Tyrell.
8:06 pm – Notre Dame 0, Oklahoma 0, middle of 2nd
Oklahoma RHP Cade Horton dealing so far with four strikeouts.
7:56 pm – End of first, no score
7:47 pm – Notre Dame 0, Oklahoma 0, bottom of 1st
Notre Dame pitcher Austin Temple takes the mound for the Irish. 4-1 this season with a 3.56 ERA in 68.1 innings of work.
7:37 pm – And we’re underway …
With one of the more impressive putouts you’ll see on a first pitch by Oklahoma first baseman Blake Robertson on Notre Dame lead off hitter Ryan Cole.
Starting lineups
Oklahoma Sooners
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Not so fast … First pitch update
Pregaming
