Beavers make it two titles in a row

Oregon State became the first team in a decade to repeat as College World Series champion, completing a dominant run through the tournament with a 9-3 victory over North Carolina on Sunday night.

The Beavers (49-18) won all five of their CWS games, including a sweep of the Tar Heels in the best-of-three final, and trailed for only one of 45 innings they played in Omaha.

North Carolina was runner-up for the second consecutive year after the first championship rematch since Arizona State and USC met in 1973. Oregon State is the first consecutive champion since Louisiana State in 1996-97 and the fifth overall.

Darwin Barney’s two-run home run gave the Beavers the lead in the second inning of the decisive game. Jordan Lennerton hit his second homer in two nights, a two-run shot in the eighth.

The Tar Heels (57-16) didn’t get much going against Oregon State’s steady pitching and solid defense, and were shut down whenever they appeared on the verge of a big inning.

Mark Grbavac and Joe Paterson combined to retire the last seven North Carolina batters.

Paterson got a called third strike against pinch-hitter Kyle Shelton to end the game and send the Beavers sprinting out of their dugout for the celebratory pile.

“It’s crazy. It’s just crazy,” Coach Pat Casey said. “I just felt like we were going to win. There is something in that dugout.”

Dustin Ackley’s single in the first inning put North Carolina ahead, 1-0, and ended a streak of 61 innings over seven games in which Oregon State led or was tied.

The Beavers hadn’t trailed in a CWS game in 50 innings, since the fourth inning of Game 2 of last year’s final series.