Omaha, Neb. ? Danny Lehmann doubled in the go-ahead run in Rice’s six-run eighth inning, and the team that set a College World Series record for offensive futility last year rallied to beat Louisville, 15-10, on Friday in the tournament opener.

Louisville, which had scored 77 runs in eight NCAA Tournament games, broke out to leads of 5-0 and 10-4 in its first CWS appearance before Rice pitchers Scott Lonergan and Bobby Bramhall combined to hold the Cardinals scoreless the last four innings.

Rice, with 14 players taken in last week’s draft and wins in 35 of 37 games, arrived in Omaha with some heavy baggage after failing to score in its last 23 innings at last year’s CWS. That streak ended at 252â3 innings when Lehmann singled in Rice’s four-run third inning.

Rice trailed 5-0 and 10-4 before a three-run fifth inning and home runs by Joe Savery in the sixth and Aaron Luna in the seventh pulled the Owls to 10-9.

Bramhall (7-2) kept it a one-run game in the eighth after he intentionally walked Chris Dominguez to load the bases with one out. Bramhall struck out Pete Rodriguez after running the count full, then got Derrick Alfonso to fly out to end the threat.

North Carolina 8, Mississippi State 5

North Carolina cobbled together a six-run sixth inning to beat Mississippi State. The Tar Heels spotted the Bulldogs a 4-0 lead before rallying with four hits, two hit batters, a walk and an error to chalk up their fifth come-from-behind victory in six NCAA Tournament games.