Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State win NCAA openers

J.D. Davis hit a two-out eighth-inning grand slam, lifting Cal State Fullerton to a 5-1 victory over Nebraska in the first game of the Stillwater, Okla., regional Friday.

Fullerton (33-22) won its eighth consecutive game and advanced to Saturday’s winners’ bracket matchup against the winner of Friday night’s Oklahoma State-Binghamton contest.

Nebraska (40-20) will play in the consolation bracket Saturday.

Davis, who had already ended Cornhuskers starter Chance Sinclair’s no-hitter in the seventh, was the first batter to face Nebraska reliever Josh Roeder. He promptly sent a 2-1 pitch about 30 feet over the left field wall to clear the bases.

Long Beach State 6, North Carolina 1: Eric Hutting and Carlton Vaughn had two-run hits in the fourth inning to lead Long Beach State over the Tar Heels in the Gainesville, Fla., regional.

After being retired in order in their first three at-bats, the Dirtbags (33-24), batted around in the fourth against Tar Heels starter Trent Thornton (7-4) to score all of their runs. They scored on all of their five hits.

Long Beach sophomore Andrew Rorhbach (7-2) didn’t allow a run until the ninth. He gave up seven hits and did not walk a batter in 8 1/3 innings. Long Beach plays the Florida-College of Charleston winner; North Carolina (34-26) plays the loser.

Pepperdine 3, Arizona State 2: Austin Davidson had a two-run double, Corey Miller pitched into the seventh inning, and the Waves (40-16) held off the Sun Devils at San Luis Obispo.

Miller gave up two runs and three hits in 7 1/3 innings. Eric Karch got his 14th save.

Lilek got only two outs for Arizona State (33-23) before leaving the game because of a sternum injury.

UC Irvine 10, Nevada Las Vegas 3: Connor Spencer hit a two-run double in a five-run fifth inning and the Anteaters cruised in the opener at Corvallis, Ore.

Spencer went two for five with three RBIs for the Anteaters (36-22). Andrew Morales (10-2) gave up two runs and four hits over seven innings, striking out four. Relief pitchers Mitch Merten and Matt Fielding did not yield a hit in the final two innings.