Tar Heels stave off elimination by besting ECU 5-3

Survive and advance.

Tournament baseball, especially in the loser’s bracket, puts the weight of the entire season on one game. Sunday afternoon, the North Carolina baseball team responded by sending East Carolina back to Greenville with a 5-3 season ending loss.

“We knew we were on the ropes,” freshman starting pitcher Benton Moss said. “We knew they were too. I had to make pitches, take it one pitch at a time…We had to play good defense today and we did. Key pitches and key outs in key situations really helped us today.”

Moss improved to 7-2 on the season for his six inning effort against the Pirates. Though he only struckout one batter, he allowed just one earned run on six hits.

And the Tar Heel offense kicked in just in time to give Moss the win.

In the sixth inning Stubbs walked on four pitches and made it to second on a wild pitch from Jharel Cotton. ECU coach Billy Godwin pulled Cotton after that play as it was obvious that his control was gone.

But designated hitter Brian Holberton caught up to reliever Andy Smithmeyer anyway and brought Stubbs home with a single to left to give the Tar Heels the 2-0 lead.

ECU answered in the bottom of the sixth as Drew Reynolds singled with two outs and runners on first and second. One run came across but Reynolds was thrown out trying to stretch the single into a double – Stallings was having none of that – and the rally was halted.

The Tar Heels fluffed that 2-1 lead in the seventh with three desperately needed runs. After watching a two run lead disappear with one swing of the bat the night before, UNC couldn’t have a big enough lead on the Pirates.

It was Mike Zolk that delivered the big two-out, two-run single that scored Moran and Coyle.

“Zolk’s always ready,” Fox said. “I just felt like that was a good matchup. He looks at the ball good and I really felt like he was locked in and was going to give us a good at bat.”

Things got tight for the Tar Heels after Moss hit the first batter of the seventh inning.

“I don’t want to make excuses,” Moss said. “It was a long inning the inning before for the offense. I went out there and tossed a little bit. I’m always the type of guy that likes to stay rolling. And it was a lot longer than the other inning so I kind of fell apart. It was all me.”

Pitching coach Scott Forbes replaced him with R.C. Orlan. But Orlan left the game in the eighth with an injury and UNC struggled to get out of the inning as Luis Paula gave up and RBI single on the only pitch he threw. Tate Parrish came one to finish the inning as he forced a fly out.

Fox said after the game that Orlan complained of tightness but that it didn’t seem serious.

After the Heels went down quickly in top of the ninth Michael Morin came out to a warm welcome to attempt the save. And despite a solo homerun by right fielder Jack Wooten, Morin held it down for his 19th save of the season and the Tar Heels survived to play St. John’s at 6 p.m. Sunday.

“Either we’re going to win or we’re going to lose,” Moss said. “Those are the only two outcomes that can happen. There really is no pressure. You can ask any of the other guys and I think they’ll tell you the same thing.”

A win for UNC at 6 p.m. will force another game Monday night, but should St. John’s win the Red Storm will advance to the Super Regoinal.