By ERIC OLSON AP Sports Writer
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Colin Hynek’s three-run homer broke open a close game in the eighth inning and sent North Carolina to a 6-2 win over Mississippi in the College World Series on Friday night.
The Tar Heels prevailed in what began as a pitcher’s duel between Jason DeCaro and the Rebels’ Taylor Rabe. They had just three hits through seven innings and led 3-2 when Hynek ripped Walker Hooks’ first-pitch changeup out to left with two outs.
“You have to do special things to win and get this far already, but you have to do even more special things to win out here,” Carolina coach Scott Forbes said. “It’s all about pitching and defending and being fundamentally sound and manufacturing a run. The ballpark is going to play bigger out here, so you have to have good outings. That sets the tone.”
Carolina (51-12-1), playing in the CWS for the second time in three years, will face West Virginia on Sunday with control of Bracket 1 at stake. Mississippi (41-22), in Omaha for the first time since winning the national title in 2022, will try to stave off elimination against Troy on Sunday.
North Carolina scored twice in the seventh inning to take a 3-2 lead, with Gavin Gallaher’s line drive up the middle driving in the go-ahead run.
Rebels leadoff man Dom Decker, hitless in two CWS games for Murray State last year, doubled twice off DeCaro. Decker’s first double put Mississippi up 1-0 in the third, and he scored the go-ahead run in the seventh on Judd Utermark’s single off Caden Glauber.
DeCaro, who pitched a two-hitter against Southern California in the second game of their super regional last Saturday, struck out nine in 6 2/3 innings and appeared to get stronger as he went along until Decker’s hit in the seventh. Glauber (11-0) worked the last 2 1/3 innings.
Owen Hull, the hero of the Tar Heels’ super regional-clinching walk-off win last Sunday, homered off Rabe in the sixth to tie it at 1.
“The guy’s pitch count was pretty high, and that was our goal,” Hull said. “We knew we would get to him eventually, and we did just that.”
Rabe, who retired the next two batters before Hudson Calhoun relieved, had turned in strong starts in the regionals and super regionals but wasn’t as sharp against the Tar Heels. He allowed one hit over the first five innings, but he walked a season-high four.
The Rebels had broken through against DeCaro in the third after left fielder Tyler Howe lost Brayden Randle’s fly in the sun. The ball landed just inside the line, Randle ended up on second and he came home on Decker’s double.
“We had the lead and we couldn’t finish,” Rebels coach Mike Bianco said. “But I thought Taylor pitched his guts off today and, of course, Judd with the big hit. Just came up a little short. And it happens.
“North Carolina did more to win it than we did.”