UNC baseball bashes its way to series win in Miami over the weekend

The North Carolina baseball team had a successful weekend, beating the Miami Hurricanes twice in three tries to give the team it's first series win in Coral Gables since 2008.

Game 1: UNC 8, Miami 4

UNC (21-11, 10-5 ACC) got off to a hot start in Friday's series opener, scoring twice in the second inning to go up 2-0. Right fielder Dallas Tessar hit a two-run single to left center field to give the Tar Heels the early edge. 

The Hurricanes (13-18, 7-8 ACC) scored twice in the third inning to tie it and went ahead in the sixth on an RBI single from left fielder Hunter Tackett off starting pitcher Tyler Baum. Baum was lifted after giving up the third run, but the right hander managed to strike out eight batters in his 5.2 innings of work. 

UNC quickly struck back. Pinch hitter Clemente Inclan, who hit for Tessar, did not miss a beat in his first at bat and tied the game in the seventh on an RBI single. The two teams headed to extra innings with the game tied at three. 

UNC pounced first in extra innings on a RBI bunt groundout from catcher Cody Roberts in the 11th inning. The Hurricanes were not ready to give in so easily and quickly tied it again on an RBI single in the bottom of the frame.

Then, the Tar Heel bats erupted in the 12th, with four players touching home plate to give the team a convincing 8-4 lead. Josh Ladowski provided the knockout punch with a two-run double to make it an 8-4 game. Ladowski was the second Tar Heel to register a multi-RBI game along with Tessar. 

Relief pitcher Josh Hiatt nailed the door shut in the bottom of the inning with a three-up, three-down frame, striking out the final two batters in the process. Hiatt was dominant in his four innings of work, striking out six batters and allowing just two hits to earn his first win of the year.

Game 2: UNC 9, Miami 6

Much to the Hurricanes' chagrin, the Tar Heel bats picked up where they left off on Saturday, scoring a run in the opening frame when first baseman Michael Busch came home on a wild pitch. Miami quickly bounced back, thanks to a three-run home run in the bottom of the frame from right fielder Gabe Rivera. In the third, the Tar Heels got a run back when Busch scored again, this time on a sacrifice fly from third baseman Kyle Datres. Two batters later, second baseman Zack Gahagan tied the game on an RBI single. 

In the fourth, Busch took over. With runners at every base, the sophomore blasted a bases-clearing double to put UNC up 6-3. The three RBIs upped Busch's total to 42 on the season. In the bottom of the frame, the Hurricanes responded with two runs, chasing pitchers Austin Bergner and Caden O'Brien out of the game. Cooper Criswell came in with two outs to stifle the bats and did so admirably. Over the next 5.2 innings, Cooper registered his longest — and best — performance of the season, striking out 13 batters and allowing just one run on three hits. 

Criswell's performance carried the Tar Heels to the victory. He was supplemented by Busch's three-RBI day and a strong, two-hit, two-run day from shortstop Ike Freeman. The 9-6 victory gave UNC its seventh consecutive win.

Game 3: Miami 7, UNC 5

With the series win already wrapped up, Sunday's finale was a chance for the Tar Heels to move a half-game ahead of Duke for sole possession of first place in the ACC Coastal division. 

For much of the game it looked like UNC would do so. After Miami scored in the first inning, the Tar Heels tied the game in the second when designated hitter Clemente Inclan smacked a double to left field, his third RBI of the weekend. A batter later, catcher Brandon Martorano blasted a two-run double to left center, giving UNC the 3-1 edge. In the fifth, center fielder Brandon Riley extended the lead to 5-1 on a two-run single. The single gave Riley his third multi-hit game in his last five contests. 

With rain pouring down on the stadium, first-year Caden O'Brien attempted to give UNC the series sweep and its eighth consecutive win. After striking out the first hitter, he walked the next two batters. Head coach Mike Fox had seen enough and called in another first-year, Joey Lancellotti. The right hander immediately gave up a single to load the bases and then allowed a bases-clearing triple to pull the Hurricanes to within one. After Miami tied the game on a sacrifice fly, Lancellotti allowed a two-run, two-out double that sealed the Miami win, 7-5.

The loss moved UNC to a half-game behind Duke in the Coastal division at 10-5 and 21-11 overall on the season.

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