Freshman Xander Mercurius delivered a strong performance on the mound, and Oklahoma's offense provided just enough power to hold off Georgia 4-3 on Monday in a Men's College World Series winner's bracket game at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska.

The Sooners jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first inning. After a leadoff double from Jason Walk, Deiten Lachance drove him in with a groundout to the shortstop. Jaxon Willits followed with a two-run home run to make it 3-0. Willits finished the night 3-for-4 with the two RBIs. Brendan Brock added a solo home run in the fourth inning, and Walk wound up with two hits.

Mercurius was impressive in just his fourth career start, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out nine and walking two across 7⅓ innings. He surrendered three solo home runs but consistently navigated the potent Georgia lineup before exiting in the eighth.

All of Georgia's offense came via the long ball. Kenny Ishikawa got the Bulldogs on the board with a solo shot in the fourth, Brennan Hudson hit one in the fifth and Daniel Jackson launched another in the eighth to cut the deficit to one. Ishikawa and Hudson each finished with two hits, while Jackson went 1-for-5. Starter Caden Aoki pitched a complete game, going eight innings and allowing four earned runs on eight hits with six strikeouts.

Jackson's homer in the top of the eighth made it a 4-3 game and ended Mercurius' night. Reliever Jackson Cleveland entered and secured the final outs.

Georgia mounted a final threat in the top of the ninth. After a leadoff single and a hit by pitch put runners on first and second with one out, Cleveland struck out Tre Phelps and induced a game-ending fly out from Jackson.

Up next: Georgia will face Texas on Tuesday for an elimination game in the MCWS. Oklahoma will play the winner of that game.

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