Linton gives Irvine 8-7 win

His bases-loaded single subdued Arizona State in an elimination game.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Ollie Linton singled with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning Tuesday night to give UC Irvine an 8-7 victory over Arizona State in a College World Series elimination game.

It was the third time in four games the Anteaters won in their final at-bat. This time they rallied from four runs down in the eighth inning to extend their first appearance in the CWS.

They became the first team in the CWS’ 61-year history to win extra-inning games on consecutive days. They beat Cal State Fullerton 5-4 in 13 innings on Monday in a 5-hour, 40-minute game, the longest in CWS history.

The Anteaters (47-16-1) must beat defending champion Oregon State today and again Thursday to win their bracket and reach the best-of-three championship round.

The Sun Devils (49-15) lost consecutive games for the first time since March.

10th-inning rally

Matt Morris singled, Bryan Petersen was intentionally walked and Sean Madigan singled to load the bases with one out in the 10th.

The pro-Irvine crowd began chanting “Let’s Go Eaters” as Linton walked to the plate. After he sent Mike Leake’s 2-2 pitch into right field, he was mobbed by teammates near first base and the fans’ chants turned to “Oll-ie, Oll-ie.”

The Anteaters got out of trouble in the top of the 10th after the Sun Devils loaded the bases with one out.

Scott Gorgen (13-3) beaned Rocky Laguna leading off — the CWS-record 37th hit batsmen — before Andrew Romine singled and Raoul Torrez reached on a fielder’s choice. Then Pacific-10 player of the year Brett Wallace, hitless in 11 CWS at-bats, grounded into an inning-ending double play.

N. Carolina 3, Louisville 1

Luke Putkonen gave North Carolina the quality start it had been longing for, combining on a three-hitter to lead the Tar Heels in an elimination game.

North Carolina had only three hits but scored twice on a throwing error, but that was enough against a Louisville team whose bats went cold in the NCAA tournament.

North Carolina, the 2006 national runner-up, meets Rice today. The Tar Heels (55-14) must beat the Owls twice to win their bracket and return to the best-of-three championship series, which starts Saturday.

The Cardinals (47-24), who had batted .402 and scored 22 runs in their first two CWS games, ended their first trip to the CWS with their fewest hits since getting three in a loss to St. John’s on May 5. They scored their fewest runs since a loss to Rutgers on May 25.

It was the second straight year that a team had converted three hits into a victory — Oregon State did it in a 2-0 win over Rice.

Late Monday

Mike Stutes and three relievers combined to hold one of the nation’s top hitting and scoring teams to seven hits, and Oregon State revved up its own offense to beat Arizona State 12-6.

The defending champion Beavers, who had seven hits in a 3-2 win over Fullerton Saturday, scored every inning until the seventh and finished with 18 hits.

Mike Lissman went 3-for-4 with a three-run homer and four RBIs. Chris Hopkins, Joey Wong and Jason Ogata also had three hits apiece, and Jordan Lennerton homered.

The performance was a stark contrast to last month’s Pac-10 series in Corvallis, Ore. The Sun Devils swept the three games, limiting the Beavers to a total of nine hits.

Stutes (11-4), making his third career CWS start and winning for the second time, allowed only two singles until he left with the bases loaded in the seventh.

Blake Keitzman relieved and gave up an RBI single to Raoul Torrez and a two-run single to Eric Sogard. Petey Paramore delivered a long sacrifice fly against Joe Paterson to trim the Beavers’ lead to 12-5 in the ninth.