College World Series | UC Irvine shows something extra

OMAHA, Neb. — That team with a funny nickname is serious about winning a national championship.

The UC Irvine Anteaters won in their final at-bat for the third time in four games, knocking off Arizona State 8-7 in 10 innings Tuesday night in an elimination game at the eight-team College World Series.

The hero this time was Ollie Linton, whose bases-loaded single completed their comeback from four runs down in the eighth inning and extended their first appearance in the CWS.

After beating Texas in the regionals, Wichita State in a Super Regional and Big West Conference rival Cal State Fullerton and Pac-10 champion Arizona State in the CWS, the Anteaters take aim at defending national champion Oregon State.

UC Irvine must defeat the Beavers today and again Thursday to win their bracket and reach the best-of-three championship round that starts Saturday.

"The 2007 UC Irvine Anteaters don't want to take their uniforms off," coach Dave Serrano said. "It's going to take someone to do something special to eliminate us from this."

UC Irvine became the first team in the 61-year history of the CWS to win extra-inning games on consecutive days. The Anteaters beat Cal State Fullerton 5-4 in 13 innings on Monday in a 5-hour, 40-minute game, the longest in CWS history.

"I said yesterday was one of the best games I've ever been a part of, not realizing today would top that," Serrano said.

Matt Morris singled, Bryan Petersen was intentionally walked and Sean Madigan singled to load the bases with one out in the 10th against Arizona State reliever Mike Leake.

Many in a pro-Irvine crowd of 29,034 began chanting "Let's Go Eaters" as Linton walked to the plate. After he sent Leake's 2-2 pitch into right field to snap the 7-7 tie, he was mobbed by teammates near first base as the chants turned to "Oll-ie, Oll-ie."

"Before I got to the plate, Coach Serrano told me if Madigan wasn't going to do it right here, I would do it," Linton said. "All I could think was positive thoughts."

The Anteaters got out of trouble in the top of the 10th after the Sun Devils loaded the bases with one out. Brett Wallace, the Pac-10 player of the year, grounded into a double play to finish with no hits in 12 CWS at-bats.

Other game

North Carolina 3, Louisville 1

The Tar Heels, who finished second in last year's CWS, managed a mere three hits but scored twice on a throwing error by Chris Dominguez in the second inning of their victory over the Cardinals.

North Carolina needs to beat Rice twice to return to the championship round.