OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — It took nearly 4 1/2 hours in 95-degree heat to play the opening game of the College World Series. Time flew for North Carolina coach Mike Fox. He was having fun. The Tar Heels knocked out Oregon State ace Luke Heimlich during a five-run third inning and went on to beat the Beavers 8-6 on Saturday.

The Tar Heels (44-18) used six pitchers in a 4-hour, 24-minute slog that was the longest nine-inning game in CWS history. They turned back threats in the sixth and seventh innings and prevailed against an opponent they hadn’t faced since losing to the Beavers in the 2006 and ’07 CWS finals.

The Beavers were uncharacteristically sloppy while losing their third straight game over two years in Omaha. Carolina scored on a passed ball, and the Beavers committed three errors after making one in their first five NCAA Tournament games.
Then there was Heimlich (16-2), the two-time Pac-12 pitcher of the year who lasted just 2 1/3 innings — his shortest start in two years.
GRIEVING TAR HEELS
Fox said his team played with a heavy heart after learning former North Carolina pitcher Zach Attianese and his father died in a car accident in Michigan on Friday night. Attianese left after his freshman year in 2017, pitched at a junior college and was committed to playing at Florida State next season.
UP NEXT
North Carolina plays the Mississippi State-Washington winner on Monday night. Oregon State meets the Mississippi State-Washington loser on Monday.

NEWTON, Iowa (AP) — Brett Moffitt won the NASCAR Truck series race Saturday night at Iowa Speedway, his hometown track. The 25-year-old Moffitt, from nearby Grimes, led 76 laps for his second victory of the season in the No. 16 truck. He started 16th, the lowest spot on the grid for a race winner in 2018.

Noah Gragson was second. He briefly passed Moffitt on the final lap, but his bold effort on the back stretch sent him into the wall and allowed Moffitt to cross first. Harrison Burton was third, followed by David Gilliland. Johnny Sauter, who was seeking his third straight win, was fifth.

John Hunter Nemechek and Stewart Friesen, the first two stage winners, were caught in a multi-car wreck early in the final stage that knocked each of them out of contention.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — State and local officials in Nebraska have announced an effort to combat sex trafficking in Omaha during the NCAA Men’s College World Series this month. The Omaha World-Herald reports that a panel of officials — including Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, Gov. Pete Ricketts and state Attorney General Doug Peterson — introduced Thursday the Not On My Watch effort. Volunteers will pass out informational cards around TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, where the series is played. A message is already being regularly displayed on a large electronic billboard in the area listing indicators of someone trafficking a victim.

According to the Women’s Fund of Omaha, which is leading the effort, 900 people are sold for sex online in Nebraska every month. The group says about 75 percent show signs of being trafficked.

The 7:17-a.m. Sportscast w/Ric Hanson

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Atlantic 16, Red Oak 5 (5 innings)
AHSTW 13, Griswold 6
Boyer Valley 6, Ar-We-Va 5
CAM 15, West Harrison 0 (4 innings)
Central Decatur 8, Mount Ayr 5
Clear Lake 2, Treynor 0
Coon Rapids-Bayard 12, EHK-Exira 11
CB Abraham Lincoln 11, Pleasant Valley 9
Earlham 16, Glidden-Ralston 3
Kuemper Catholic 3, Clarinda 2
Logan-Magnolia 5, IKM-Manning 4
MVAOCOU 14, Westwood, Sloan 1
Martensdale-St. Marys 5, Bedford 3
Missouri Valley 7, Audubon 3
Nodaway Valley 4, Interstate 35 3
Shenandoah 11, Denison-Schleswig 4
Sidney 8, East Mills 4
St. Albert 15, Glenwood 0
Stanton 16, Clarinda Academy 3
Tri-Center 11, Underwood 5
Van Meter 11, AC/GC 0
Wayne 9, East Union 5

Fort Dodge Tournament:

Muscatine 6, Atlantic 5 (10 inn)
Atlantic 6, Clear Creek-Amana 5 (Alexis Handel reached 45 career home runs. Ally Anderson won her 100th career game. Kennedy Goergen had a walk-off hit in the win)
Bishop Heelan 4, Harlan 3
Fort Dodge 6, Harlan 1

Elsewhere:

CB Abraham Lincoln 11, Clarinda 7
Audubon 7, Missouri Valley 6 (9 inn)
Boyer Valley 9, Ar-We-Va 8
Carroll 16, Kuemper Catholic 3
Coon Rapids-Bayard 5, Exira-EHK 0
Creston 5, Red Oak 2
Fremont-Mills 13, Essex 7
Glidden-Ralston 4, Earlham 3
IKM-Manning 6, Logan-Magnolia 2
Lenox 11, Southeast Warren 1
Mount Ayr 11, Central Decatur 2
Pleasantville 12, Southwest Valley 0
Sidney 12, East Mills 1
Treynor 12, Riverside 6
Underwood 12, Tri-Center 6

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Kris Bryant ended a 24-game homerless drought, the longest of his career, and Ian Happ and Kyle Schwarber also went deep as the Chicago Cubs routed the St. Louis Cardinals 13-5. Bryant drilled a 448-foot, two-run shot to left field off an ineffective Michael Wacha in the third inning for his first home run since May 14.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Hundreds of people have gathered to say goodbye to Red Schoendienst. Among them are current and past St. Louis Cardinals players as well as fans. The Hall of Fame second baseman’s funeral was at the Cathedral Basilica in St. Louis. He died last week at 95. Schoendienst spent most of his playing career in St. Louis and managed the Cardinals to the 1967 World Series championship and the 1968 National League pennant.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Evan Gattis hit a go-ahead grand slam, Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa also went deep and the Houston Astros beat the Kansas City Royals 7-3 for their ninth consecutive win. Charlie Morton was a bit shaky but lasted six innings on the mound. Jakob Junis allowed three homers for Kansas City.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Florida pitcher Brady Singer has won the Dick Howser Trophy as college baseball’s player of the year. Singer carries a 12-1 record and 2.30 ERA into the College World Series. He was the 18th overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft by the Kansas City Royals. The winner is determined by a vote of National College Baseball Writers Association members and presented by the College Baseball Foundation.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Chris Parks.

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The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released their latest softball rankings on Thursday. Click the document below to see the full rankings.

61418-softball-rankings

Hawkeye Ten Conference

Atlantic 7, Clarinda 1
Denison-Schleswig 17, Creston 10 (Game 1)
Denison-Schleswig 17, Creston 7 (Game 2)
Harlan 12, Glenwood 11 (Game 1)
Harlan 11, Glenwood 2 (Game 2)
Lewis Central 23, Shenandoah 9 (Game 1)
Lewis Central 14, Shenandoah 4 (Game 2)

Western Iowa Conference

Audubon 12, Griswold 0 (Game 1)
Audubon 14, Griswold 2 (Game 1)
Missouri Valley 12, Logan-Magnolia 1
Treynor 17, Tri-Center 4
Underwood 11, AHSTW 6

Rolling Valley Conference

Coon Rapids-Bayard 16, IKM-Manning 6
Glidden-Ralston 6, Exira-EHK 1
West Central Valley 7, CAM 2
Woodbine 15, East Mills 3

Pride of Iowa Conference

Central Decatur 11, Southwest Valley 3

Other Scores

AC/GC 10, East Union 3
Bedford 14, Stanton 11
Bishop Heelan Catholic 13, CB Abraham Lincoln 0 (Game 1)
Bishop Heelan Catholic 17, CB Abraham Lincoln 1 (Game 2)
Sioux City North 17, CB Thomas Jefferson 2 (Game 1)
Sioux City North 11, CB Thomas Jefferson 1 (Game 2)
Twin Cedars 21, Orient-Macksburg 3