Oregon St. falls to North Carolina

The Beavers were uncharacteristically sloppy while losing their third straight game over two years in Omaha at the College World Series.

OMAHA, Neb. — It took nearly 4½ hours in 95-degree heat to play the opening game of the College World Series.

Time flew for North Carolina coach Mike Fox. He was having fun.

The Tar Heels knocked out Oregon State ace Luke Heimlich during a five-run third inning and went on to beat the Beavers 8-6 on Saturday.

“I liked being in the third-base coaching box in the top of the third. Felt I was out there for a while,” Fox said. “For me, the more you’re out there, the better. I get it. It was a long game. But they’re not long for me, and they’re not long for the coaches and players. Sometimes it’s agonizing for the people watching. We’re not trying to drag it out by design.”

The Tar Heels (44-18) used six pitchers in a 4-hour, 24-minute slog that was the longest nineinning game in CWS history. They turned back threats in the sixth and seventh innings and prevailed against an opponent they hadn’t faced since losing to the Beavers in the 2006 and ’07 CWS finals.

MISSISSIPPI STATE 1, WASHINGTON 0

In Omaha, Neb., Luke Alexander’s drive to right field got past Christian Jones in the bottom of the ninth inning, allowing Hunter Stovall to score from second base to give Mississippi State a 1-0 victory over Washington in the College World Series on Saturday night.

It was the Bulldogs’ third walkoff win, and fourth on their final at-bat, in their last eight NCAA Tournament games.

Stovall and Elijah MacNamee singled leading off the ninth against Andy Hardy before Alexander hit an 0-2 pitch deep to right.

Jones was playing shallow and gave chase, but he couldn’t catch up to the ball as it bounced to the wall. Alexander easily scored, prompting players to pour out of the Mississippi State dugout and celebrate on the grass behind third base.

Starters Ethan Small of the Bulldogs (38-27) and Joe DeMers of Washington (35-25) traded zeroes through seven fast-paced innings.

NATI HARNIK/ASSOCIATED PRESS Oregon State’s Cadyn Grenier reacts after being picked off in the eighth inning.

NATI HARNIK/ASSOCIATED PRESS North Carolina shortstop Ike Freeman forces out Oregon State’s Cadyn Grenier on Saturday at the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.