Texas, Arizona State win CWS openers

OMAHA, Neb. - Southern Mississippi reliever Jonathan Johnston walked Brandon Loy on four pitches with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to give Texas a 7-6 College World Series win last night.

Texas' final three runs scored on bases-loaded walks. Of Texas' last 11 hitters, six walked and one was hit by a pitch.

The Golden Eagles' dismal pitching performance in their Omaha debut spoiled an otherwise gutty showing against the No. 1-seeded Longhorns.

Texas (47-14-1), in the CWS for a record 33rd time, moves on to tomorrow's game against Arizona State, who beat North Carolina in the afternoon game, 5-2. Southern Miss (40-25) will try to stay alive against the Tar Heels in a Bracket 2 elimination game tomorrow.

The Eagles used a an infield single, a wild pitch, a bases-loaded walk and the first catcher's interference call at the CWS since 1981 to take a 5-4 lead in the eighth.

Texas loaded the bases with one out in the bottom half against Scott Copeland and Collin Cargill, with Cargill walking Brandon Loy to bring in the tying run. Josh Fields came on to strike out Cameron Rupp, but then walked pinch hitter Kevin Lusson to make it 6-5.

Southern Miss tied it the top of the ninth on James Ewing's single off Taylor Jungmann (9-3).

In the earlier game, Kole Calhoun hit a three-run homer in the top of the 10th inning after a North Carolina error helped Arizona State (50-12) take the lead, and the Sun Devils won their College World Series opener.

Jason Kipnes reached when rightfielder Garrett Gore misplayed his one-out fly 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-centerfield for a four-run lead. *