Rice Rocks North Carolina

Owls jump on Tar Heels early, often in 14-4 rout

Diego Seastrunk had three hits and two RBI, and Rice scored six times in the second inning en route to a 14-4 thumping of North Carolina Sunday night at the College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Brian Friday drove in two runs with a double, and starting pitcher Joe Savery, Jess Buenger and Jared Gayhart also drove in runs in the six-run uprising off Alex White, who was thumped for five hits and six earned runs in 1.1 inning - the second straight game the Tar Heels' starter hasn't gotten out of the second inning.

The Owls (56-12) added a run in the third and two apiece in the fourth and fifth innings to stretch their lead to 11-2. The Tar Heels (54-14) got as close to 11-4 in the bottom of the fifth but could not pull off yet another comeback as Savery (11-1) worked six solid innings, and fellow lefty Cole St. Clair finished with three scoreless innings for his eighth save.

Friday, Gayhart and Aaron Luna joined Seastrunk with two RBI, and Tyler Henley went 2 for 3 with three runs and a RBI for Rice, which will await the winner of Louisville and North Carolina. That winner will have to beat the Owls twice to reach the College World Series Championship Series.

Josh Horton had two hits and two runs, and Reid Fronk added a pair of hits for the Tar Heels.