Calhoun’s 3-run homer in 10th breaks open pitchers’ duel in ASU’s 5-2 win over N. Carolina

Calhoun’s homer keys ASU’s 5-2 win over Carolina

OMAHA, Neb. — Kole Calhoun hit a three-run homer in the top of the 10th inning after a North Carolina error helped Arizona State take the lead, and the Sun Devils won their College World Series opener 5-2 on Sunday.

Jason Kipnes reached when right fielder Garrett Gore misplayed his one-out fly ball near the warning track. Carlos Ramirez followed with a base hit up the middle, scoring Drew Maggi from second to break a 1-1 tie.

Calhoun then drilled Moran’s 1-1 pitch four rows into the stands in left-center field for a four-run lead.

ASU (50-12) plays Tuesday night against the winner of Sunday night’s Southern Mississippi-Texas game. The Tar Heels (47-17) will play the Southern Miss-Texas loser in a Bracket 2 elimination game the same day.

Until the 10th the Sun Devils and Tar Heels engaged in a rare CWS pitchers’ duel.

Carolina’s Alex White, who went nine innings in his fourth CWS start, matched his career-high with 12 strikeouts. The Cleveland Indians’ first-round draft pick was touched for three doubles in the first two innings, but he allowed only four singles the rest of the way in his 131-pitch performance.

Australian left-hander Josh Spence allowed eight singles over seven innings. The Los Angeles Angels’ third-round pick walked three and struck out eight in his 122-pitch outing, then gave way to lefty Mitchell Lambson (9-3) in the eighth.

Lambson gloved Garrett Gore’s hard liner and threw to first to double up Levi Michael, ending the eighth, and then caught No. 2 overall pick Dustin Ackley looking at a pitch on the inside corner just above his knees to end the ninth.

North Carolina got a run back in the bottom of the 10th. Kyle Seager doubled and scored when second baseman Zack MacPhee couldn’t come up with Michael’s grounder. Lambson struck out Mark Fleury and Gore to end the game.

Colin Bates (4-3), who faced one batter in the 10th, took the loss.

Spence and Lambson stymied a Carolina offense that had been batting .400 in the NCAA tournament, 99 points above its regular-season mark of .301. The Heels came in averaging 10 runs a game in the postseason and had scored 45 in the previous four games.

Ackley, taken by the Seattle Mariners last week, extended his postseason hitting streak to 20 games.

(This version CORRECTS Arizona St. 5, N. Carolina 2, 10 innings. corrects Lambson’s first name to ‘Mitchell’ and ADDS detail.)