Texas Tops Oklahoma, Gets Rematch With Pepperdine

After his team staved off elimination from the College World Series Tuesday night, Texas Coach Cliff Gustafson turned his attention to an even greater challenge facing his Longhorns.

“I think somebody is going to score on Pepperdine before the College World Series is over,” Gustafson said. “I guess that responsibility now falls on us.”

The Longhorns earned a rematch with the unbeaten and unscored-upon Waves by defeating Oklahoma, 8-5, before a crowd of 15,296 at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Texas, a 7-0 loser to Pepperdine Monday, plays the Waves Thursday night. If the Longhorns win, they will meet Pepperdine Friday for the right to advance to Saturday’s championship game.

Texas (48-16), which defeated Oklahoma, 15-3, in its series opener, beat Oklahoma five consecutive times this season and has defeated the Sooners 15 times in 16 games, including all six in World Series play.

“The good thing about the summer is I don’t have to face Texas anymore,” said Oklahoma Coach Larry Cochell, whose team finished 43-24.

Brooks Kieschnick, the probable starting pitcher against Pepperdine, had three of the Longhorns’ 13 hits, including a solo homer against Kevin Lovingier (3-3) in the first inning and a run-scoring single in the eighth.

“We’re just going to go out and have fun against Pepperdine,” Kieschnick said. “They have a couple of guys in their lineup that you don’t want to beat you. As long as I get out in front and keep them off base, we’ll be OK.”

Texas right-hander Chris Gaskill (6-2) gave up one run in three innings of relief for the victory against Oklahoma.

Trailing, 6-3, in the seventh inning, Oklahoma loaded the bases on two walks and a single. Gaskill then got Greg Norton to ground into a double play and retired Jason Evans on a ground ball to second.

Oklahoma pulled to within 6-5 on an eighth-inning solo homer by Mike Smedes, but Robert DeLeon tripled to start the Texas eighth and scored on a double by Calvin Murray. Kieschnick drove in the final run with his single.