Carolina Outlasts Oregon State To Take Epic CWS Opener

Saturday, June 16

Omaha, Neb.

3 p.m.

North Carolina

44-18

Oregon State

49-11-1

North Carolina

Oregon State

Photo by: Nate Olsen

June 16, 2018 | Baseball

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OMAHA, Neb. --- Ben Casparius had three RBIs in his first game in more than a month and Cooper Criswell worked 2.1 innings of scoreless relief for his first career save as No. 6 North Carolina outlasted No. 3 Oregon State 8-6 in the College World Series opener Saturday at TD Ameritrade Park. Ike Freeman had three hits and Ashton McGee drove in a pair for the Tar Heels, who won their opening game in Omaha for the first time since 2008.

Oregon State (49-11-1) started the scoring against starter Gianluca Dalatri in the bottom of the first inning when Trevor Lamach hit a triple to center that scored a runner from second, making it 1-0 Beavers. Dalatri walked the next batter on four pitches and drew a mound visit from head coach Mike Fox and pitching coach Robert Woodard. After one warm-up pitch, he walked off the mound and exited after just 15 pitches, giving way to Caden O'Brien. O'Brien (7-0) escaped further trouble with a great barehanded play by Kyle Datres to retire the side.

The Tar Heels (44-18) got a run back in the top of the second courtesy of some small ball against OSU starter Luke Heimlich (16-2). With two runners on and nobody out, McGee laid down a bunt to put a pair in scoring position for Casparius. In the freshman's first game since May 11 against Duke, he rolled a grounder to third to score Zack Gahagan and tie the game at one.

In the third, Brandon Riley was able to give the Tar Heels their first lead of the day. A fly ball to right field was plenty deep enough to send Michael Busch home standing up, good for a 2-1 lead with just one out. Later in the inning after Ike Freeman blooped a single to left, and Roberts scored on a passed ball to make it 3-1.

Gahagan then laced a ball down the third base line on a ball that looked to be headed for extra bases, but it hit the third base umpire and kept Freeman at third base. After Brandon Martorano was hit by a pitch, the Heels loaded the bases with one out to end Heimlich's afternoon.

McGee greeted OSU reliever Brandon Eisert with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1, but it was a Casparius RBI single that helped put a bigger crooked number on the board. Gahagan scored, and after the center fielder had trouble with the hard-hit single, Martorano was able to score on Oregon State's second error of the day. That made it 6-1 Carolina after two and a half.

The Beavers quickly responded against O'Brien in the bottom of the inning, putting a three spot on the board. A double from Larnach and a two-RBI single from Adley Rutschman made it 6-4 Tar Heels after three full innings of play.

The bullpens took command over the next couple of innings, leading up to the bottom of the sixth where Oregon State had a key opportunity with the tying run on base. With two on and one out, Josh Hiatt came on and relieved Joey Lancellotti with OSU's Cadyn Grenier up to bat. The Beavers' number-two hitter scorched a ball to short, but Freeman made a great play on a line drive and threw to second for a double play, preserving the Tar Heels' 6-4 lead.

The two teams traded pairs of runs in the seventh inning, with McGee and Casparius picking up RBIs and the Beavers tacking on two against Hiatt. Oregon State loaded the bases with two outs, but Criswell entered out of the bullpen and picked up a big strikeout to end the threat. After seven full innings, the Carolina lead was at 8-6.

From there, it was Criswell's game and he capitalized to help pick up the seven-out save. He worked out of a jam in the eighth and was nearly flawless in the ninth, sending Carolina home the winners in the first game of the College World Series.

The Tar Heels will play the winner of Saturday's game between Mississippi State and Washington on Monday at 7 p.m. ET.