UNC baseball takes rubber game against Notre Dame, 8-1

Behind an electric offensive effort, No. 17 North Carolina defeated Notre Dame 8-1 on Monday night. With the victory, the Tar Heels claimed their first series win since taking two-of-three against Virginia Tech from April 8-10.

What happened?

UNC (33-19, 12-15 ACC) connected with the bat right away, leading the Tar Heels to post a seven-run second inning behind three two-run doubles and an RBI single. The performance forced Notre Dame (27-24, 11-14 ACC) to make two pitching changes two innings deep into the game.

Notre Dame had a shot at answering the runs in the top of the third inning, as Jason Morgan gave up a hit and two walks to load the bases for the Fighting Irish. But Zack Gahagan caught a liner and tagged first base for an unassisted double play to allow North Carolina to escape without giving up a run.

Kyle Datres completed the scoring for the Tar Heels, tacking on a solo home run in the fifth inning to propel North Carolina to an 8-0 lead.

Notre Dame broke the scoring drought in the ninth inning with an RBI single, but the effort was not enough to overcome UNC’s lead.

Who stood out?

Leadoff hitter Brian Miller set the tone for North Carolina with a single to open the offensive effort in the first inning. His two-run double in the second inning kick-started the scoring for UNC. Miller finished the night 3-for-5 with two RBIs.

A two-run double would be impressive on its own, but Zack Gahagan came up big for North Carolina on the defensive end as well, with the unassisted double play that allowed UNC to escape a bases-loaded jam in the third inning.

Kyle Datres found his shining moment in the fifth inning, when he whacked the ball over the left field wall for a solo home run, his third of the year. But beyond the big play, Datres hit consistently throughout the night, going 3-for-4 at the plate.

When was it decided?

North Carolina locked this one up in a seven-run second inning. Brian Miller started the scoring with a two-run double to left field. After Logan Warmoth chipped in an RBI single, Zack Gahagan and Brandon Riley topped off the scoring with back-to-back two-run doubles to right field. Buried in a seven-run hole after two innings, there wasn’t much the Fighting Irish could do.

Why does it matter?

With the Tar Heels on the bubble of receiving an ACC Tournament bid, Monday's victory was crucial for UNC. North Carolina is tied with Duke for ninth in the ACC rankings. Monday's win improves the Tar Heels’ chances at qualifying for the ACC and NCAA Tournaments.

UNC also broke out of its hitting funk, tallying 12 hits on the night. Lately, the Tar Heels have struggled to string together hits in conference play. This dominance at the plate will likely be a confidence boost for North Carolina going forward.

Where do they play next?

The Tar Heels will travel to Raleigh to take on N.C. State on Thursday at 6 p.m. for their last conference series of the regular season.

@BlakeR_95

sports@dailytarheel.com