Oregon State repeats as college champion

The Beavers defeated North Carolina again, 9-3, to win the College World Series.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Oregon State became the first team in a decade to repeat as College World Series champion, completing a dominant run through the tournament with a 9-3 victory over North Carolina Sunday night.

The Beavers (49-18) won all five of their CWS games, including a sweep of the Tar Heels in the best-of-3 finals, and trailed for only one of 45 innings they played in Omaha.

North Carolina was runner-up for the second straight year after the first CWS finals rematch since Arizona State and USC met in 1973. Oregon State is the first back-to-back champion since LSU in 1996-97 and the fifth overall.

Darwin Barney’s two-run homer gave the Beavers the lead in the second inning of the decisive game. Jordan Lennerton hit his second homer in two nights, a two-run shot in the eighth.

The Tar Heels (57-16) didn’t get much going against Oregon State’s steady pitching and solid defense, and were shut down whenever they appeared on the verge of a big inning.

Mark Grbavac and Joe Paterson combined to retire the last seven North Carolina batters.

Paterson got a called third strike on pinch-hitter Kyle Shelton to end the game and send the Beavers sprinting out of their dugout for the celebratory pile.

Tar Heel starter knocked out quick

The Beavers knocked out North Carolina starter Luke Putkonen (8-2) in the second inning after Barney lined a pitch over the left-field wall. Another run scored on third baseman Chad Flack’s throwing error.

Putkonen, a sophomore, went only 12⁄3 innings in the shortest outing of his career.

Tar Heels coach Mike Fox made a surprise move by bringing in closer Andrew Carignan, whose appearance in the second inning was his earliest in a game in two years.

Not even Carignan, who had given up one hit and no runs in 61⁄3 CWS innings before Sunday, could stop the Beavers.

Singles by Santschi in the third and John Wallace in the fifth stretched the Beavers’ lead to 5-2.

Dustin Ackley hit his second homer of the CWS and 10th of the season to pull North Carolina to 5-3, but Scott Santschi’s third RBI single and Chris Hopkins’ infield hit made it 7-3 in the seventh.