Oklahoma Takes Control: 9-3 Win Over North Carolina Puts Sooners One Win From CWS Title

OMAHA, Neb. - The Sooners wasted no time making a statement in the College World Series championship series.

Oklahoma jumped on North Carolina early and often, cruising to a 9-3 victory in Game 1 on Saturday afternoon at Charles Schwab Field.

The bats came alive at the right time, and the pitching was solid enough to keep the Tar Heels at bay.

This was exactly the kind of performance Sooner fans were hoping to see in the first game of this best-of-three series.

Deiten Lachance was the star of the day. The junior catcher from Canada went deep twice, once in the first inning and again in the third. His first homer scored Camden Johnson and gave OU an early 2-0 lead.

After North Carolina tied it up in the bottom of the first, Lachance answered right back with a solo shot to put the Sooners back in front.

That’s the kind of impact we’ve come to expect from him during this postseason run.

The fourth inning was where the game really got away from North Carolina. Oklahoma put up four runs in the frame, highlighted by RBI singles from Kyle Branch and Jaxon Willits, plus another from Camden Johnson.

By the end of the inning, it was 7-3, and the Sooners were firmly in control.

They added one more in the sixth when Jason Walk singled home Dayton Tockey, and then tacked on the final run in the ninth on a double play that still managed to score Camden Johnson.

All told, nine different Sooners reached base safely, and the offense was clicking on all cylinders.

On the mound, Cord Rager got the start and battled through some early trouble but settled in nicely. The bullpen did its job as well, keeping North Carolina from mounting any real comeback after the first inning.

It wasn’t a complete shutdown performance, but it was more than good enough given how the offense was producing.

This win gives Oklahoma a 1-0 lead in the series. Getting this first one was huge. It takes some pressure off and lets the Sooners play with even more confidence moving forward.

What’s impressive about this team is how they’ve handled the big stage. They weren’t supposed to be here after the way the regular season went, but they’ve embraced the underdog role and keep finding ways to win.

From the dramatic walk-off against Georgia Tech to sweeping Kansas and now taking down Alabama and Georgia, this group has shown real fight.

Now they’re one series win away from bringing a national championship back to Norman. North Carolina is a good team and will definitely punch back, but the momentum is clearly on OU’s side after this kind of performance.

This is a special run, and it feels like the whole state is behind this team.

UP NEXT: Game 1 belonged to the Sooners. Game 2 is set for Sunday at 1:30 p.m. CT on ABC, with an if-necessary Game 3 on Monday night. Now can they go finish the job? Stay tuned.