COLLEGE BASEBALL

• Sun Devils storm back in grand fashion to eliminate Tar Heels

  
  

  Omaha, NE (Sports Network) - Kole Calhoun blasted a game-tying grand slam in the fifth and keyed an eight-run seventh with a two-run double, leading ArizonaState to a 12-5 drubbing of North Carolina, eliminating the Tar Heels from the College World Series.

  Calhoun finished the game 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored for the fifth- seeded Sun Devils, who are trying to win their first College World Series title since 1981. They will face a tall task, however, as they now must beat top-ranked Texas two straight times to reach the three-game championship series.

  Zack MacPhee and Drew Maggi each drove in a pair of runs in the victory, while Josh Spence continued his solid pitching by allowing four runs -- three earned -- on seven hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in seven innings to earn the win.

  Arizona State earned its second win over UNC in the tournament, having also beaten them on Sunday, 5-2, in the opening game of the second bracket.

  Kyle Seager and Mike Cavasinni each had a pair of hits and an RBI for the fourth-seeded Tar Heels, whose senior class had played in the College World Series in each of its four years at the school.

  Dustin Ackley, the second overall pick of the 2009 MLB Draft by Seattle, went 1-for-5 with a run scored.

  Matt Harvey got the start for the Tar Heels and allowed three runs in 4 1/3 innings.

  Colin Bates received the loss after yielding two runs in two-thirds of a frame.

  Down 4-0, Arizona State fought back, loading the bases in the fifth on a pair of walks and a hit batsman. The lack of control prompted the Tar Heels to replace Harvey with Brian Moran on the mound, and he promptly gave up a game- tying grand slam to Calhoun.

  The Sun Devils went ahead for the first time in the seventh, exploding for eight runs. With Bates pitching for UNC, Jason Kipnis singled and Carlos Ramirez drew a walk to begin the frame. Patrick Johnson was brought in to pitch, but Calhoun came through again, blasting a two-run double to the gap in right-center for a 6-4 advantage.

  After a strikeout, two consecutive walks by Johnson loaded the bases, and a wild pitch to Jared McDonald allowed ASU to score another run. MacPhee and Maggi each added a two-run single off Nate Striz later in the inning for a seven-run lead, and Ramirez's RBI single off Logan Munson capped the inning and gave Arizona State a commanding 12-4 lead, which the team did not relinquish.

  An RBI double by Seager in the ninth accounted for the final margin.

  UNC took the lead in the second thanks to some shoddy Sun Devil fielding. Mark Fleury drew a leadoff walk and was forced out at second on a fielder's choice. Ben Bunting hit a grounder to the shortstop Maggi, who threw the ball over the first baseman's head, putting runners on second and third with one out.

  Jacob Stallings followed with a suicide squeeze to knock in the first run of the game.

  Three runs in the fourth helped the Tar Heels widen their margin. Garrett Gore singled to start the frame and stole second.

  He reached third when Levi Michael struck out but reached first on a wild pitch.

  The mistake proved costly, as Bunting worked a walk to load the bases with one out.

  Stallings put down a bunt that scored Gore from third, and two consecutive two-out RBI singles from Cavasinni and Ryan Graepel extended North Carolina's lead to 4-0.

  The CWS picks up again Friday in Bracket 1 action with an all-SEC battle in the afternoon. LSU and Arkansas will play for the right to play in the final series. The Tigers, the top seed in that particular bracket, crushed Arkansas, 9-1, earlier in the tournament, and the Razorbacks will have to earn two straight victories to advance. LSU won two of three from Arkansas in the regular season. Friday's nightcap will be Texas-ASU.

  06/19 00:04:06 ET