College World Series: Blake Cooper Leads South Carolina To 7-1 Victory Over UCLA

It was a battle of aces in Game One of the Championship Bracket in the 2010 College World Series. UCLA ace Gerrit Cole, pitching on four days rest, had the theoretical advantage over Gamecock mainstay Blake Cooper, pitching on just three. The contest did not go the way the Bruins expected, however, as South Carolina kept chipping away at Cole with infield chops and outfield bloops. Cole went seven innings, allowing four runs on a career-worst 11 hits, fanning just two. Cooper, meanwhile, was brilliant, fanning 10 Bruins in eight innings before tiring in the ninth. Reliever John Taylor came in and coaxed a bases-loaded double play, which enabled UCLA to score their only run. South Carolina’s 7-1 victory puts them in a strong position heading into tomorrow’s contest, starting at 6;30 P.M. EDT.