Arizona tops South Carolina in Game 1 of CWS Final

Omaha, NE – Konner Wade tossed a complete game on Sunday and the Arizona Wildcats stunned the South Carolina Gamecocks, 5-1, in Game 1 of the College World Series Finals at TD Ameritrade Park.

Wade allowed just one run on five hits with three strikeouts and a walk to earn the victory. Robert Refsnyder went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run while Alex Mejia, Seth Mejias-Brean and Bobby Brown added an RBI apiece for Arizona.

Riley Moore chipped in with three hits for Arizona, which will be looking to clinch its fourth College World Series title in program history, and first since 1986.

Evan Marzilli knocked in the only run with an RBI single for the two-time defending champion Gamecocks, who will attempt to even this best-of-three series in Game 2 on Monday. Forrest Koumas took the loss for South Carolina after allowing three runs -- two earned -- on four hits with three strikeouts and a walk.

Arizona got on the board first in their its first at-bat when Johnny Field singled and Refsnyder launched a two-run shot the opposite way over the wall in right field.

It was the first home run allowed by South Carolina pitching since June 2, which snapped a 77-inning homerless streak.

The Wildcats tacked on another run in the third when Trent Gilbert reached on an error, moved to second on a single by Joey Rickard and scored when Mejia laced a single through the hole and into left field.

An RBI single by Mejias-Brean in the fifth extended the Arizona lead to 4-0 before the Gamecocks finally got on the board in the sixth.

Grayson Greiner started the frame with a ringing double to deep center field and came around to score on a base hit up the middle by Marzilli to cut the deficit to 4-1.

Arizona got the run back in the seventh when Brown ripped a single through the right side of the infield to bring home Refsnyder.