OMAHA, Neb. — Colin Hynek’s three-run homer in the eighth inning broke open a close game and sent North Carolina to a 6-2 win over Mississippi in the College World Series on Friday, the Tar Heels said.
The game began as a pitchers’ duel between North Carolina’s Jason DeCaro and Mississippi’s Taylor Rabe. The Tar Heels 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 in the eighth, according to the teams.
North Carolina scored twice in the seventh to take a 3-2 lead, with Gavin Gallaher’s line drive up the middle driving in the go-ahead run. Owen Hull homered off Rabe in the sixth to tie the game at 1, and Mississippi’s Dom Decker doubled twice and scored after Judd Utermark’s single in the seventh, team reports said.
DeCaro struck out nine in 6 2/3 innings and appeared to get stronger as the game went along, the Tar Heels said. Caden Glauber (11-0) worked the last 2 1/3 innings. Rabe allowed one hit over the first five innings but walked a season-high four and was relieved by Hudson Calhoun, according to Mississippi.
“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.” Mississippi coach Mike Bianco said his team “came up a little short,” adding, “I thought Taylor pitched his guts off today.” Owen Hull said the plan was to work the pitcher’s count. “The guy’s pitch count was pretty high, and that was our goal,” Hull said.
North Carolina (51-12-1), making its second College World Series appearance in three years, will face West Virginia on Sunday with control of Bracket 1 at stake, the school said. 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, the Rebels said.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
