Omaha, Neb ? Texas designated hitter J.D. Reininger went back to an old remedy to get out of a slump that consisted of seven straight strikeouts.

“I had my dad go get some whiffle balls and a broom stick. That’s what I used to do when I was younger and I had trouble seeing the ball,” said Reininger, who saw it just fine Monday night.

Notre dame's Brian Stavisky connects for a game-winning two-run home run in the ninth inning against Rice. The Irish won, 5-3, in the College World Series on Monday in Omaha, Neb.

Reininger went 2-for-3 and drove in four runs two on a fourth-inning homer as the Longhorns beat Stanford 8-7 in a College World Series winner’s bracket game.

Reininger’s strikeout streak dated to June 9 with an 0-for-3 performance in Texas’ super regional championship against Houston. He struck out four times Saturday in Texas’ 2-1 win over Rice in the opening round of the CWS.

Reininger said he still received regular encouragement from his teammates during the slump, but the pats on the back were a little stronger Monday.

“That’s big when you’re teammates are still telling you ‘You can do it’ after seven strikeouts,” Reininger said.

Jeff Ontiveros also homered and Tim Moss scored three runs for the Longhorns (55-15), who are in the CWS semifinals for the first time since 1989.

Texas, which is in the CWS for the 29th time and has won four national titles, can advance to Saturday’s championship game with one more win. The Longhorns will play again Thursday against either Stanford or Notre Dame, which play in an elimination game tonight.

“What it means is we’ve gained an advantage for now,” coach Augie Garrido said. “Now we have to capitalize on this advantage. It’s like having a runner on third with one out. You’ve still got to get him in.”

Alan Bomer (11-3) went six innings and allowed four runs and six hits before leaving with a blister on his middle finger. The Iowa State transfer, who went to Texas after the Cyclones dropped their program last spring, left to a loud round of applause from the Longhorns fans.

Huston Street pitched the final two innings and picked up his second save of the CWS and 12th this season.

Stanford, which won two of three against Texas in a regular-season series, would need to beat Notre Dame on Tuesday, then the Longhorns twice on Thursday to make the championship game for the third straight year.

Notre Dame 5, Rice 3

The wind at Rosenblatt Stadium stood no chance against Notre Dame’s Brian Stavisky on Monday afternoon. The outfielder hit a two-run homer into a 15 mph crosswind in the bottom of the ninth inning helping the Fighting Irish to a victory over Rice that kept them alive in the College World Series.

“My first thought was the wind would knock it down but it seemed to pierce the win,” Stavisky said of his ninth homer of the season. “I knew I hit it hard. When it went up into the stands it was the best feeling I’ve ever had on a baseball field.”

The Fighting Irish (50-17) reached the 50-win mark for the first time while staying alive in just their second CWS appearance.