The North Carolina baseball team dropped Game 1 of its final regular season series, 6-4, to N.C. State at Doak Field in Raleigh on Thursday night. With the loss, the Tar Heels (33-20, 12-16 ACC) will likely need to win the next two games against the Wolfpack (14-12) to ensure a spot in the ACC Tournament.
What happened?
UNC jumped out to an early 2-0 lead behind the play of sophomore shortstop Logan Warmoth, who drove in a run in each of his first two plate appearances.
The Tar Heels were able to load the bases in both of the first two innings, but could only muster two runs out of it. North Carolina was a dismal 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position on the night.
But despite the lack of execution on the offensive end, the Tar Heels maintained the two-run lead for the next three and a half inning behind the pitching of junior Zac Gallen. Through five innings, the right-hander only gave up two hits, both infield singles, and struck out four batters.
Things fell apart over the next two innings, however, as the Wolfpack got going at the plate. N.C. State plated three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to take a 6-2 lead, one the Tar Heels could not battle back from.
UNC was able to plate two runners in the top of the ninth, but it couldn't climb out of the hole it dug itself into.
Who stood out?
Warmoth was the lone bright spot for North Carolina in the batter's box. He singled in each of his three plate appearances, and accounted for 50 percent of his team's hits and 75 percent of its runs on the night.
