The No. 4 North Carolina baseball team improved to 12-1 on the season in a 7-6 victory over the Charleston Southern Buccaneers at Boshamer Stadium on Tuesday.
What happened?
Despite being the underdogs, the Buccaneers (4-10) took an early 1-0 lead. After reaching on a bloop single that landed between three Tar Heels in the top of the first inning, CSU’s Josh Litchfield scored from second after an Ashton McGee throw went past first baseman Aaron Sabato.
UNC (12-1) had a chance to answer immediately after junior Michael Busch walked and advanced to third on a botched pick-off attempt, but CSU starter RJ Petit got a strikeout and flyout to escape trouble.
After 2.1 hitless innings, the North Carolina offense woke up in the third. Busch drove in junior Dylan Harris from first base with a deep double to right center. Ben Casparius recorded a pinch-hit RBI single to left field, and two CSU pitchers combined for four walks and two hit batsmen as UNC jumped out to a 5-1 lead.
The Buccaneers responded with some offense of their own. After a leadoff single in the fourth, CSU totaled three hits and drew two walks, driving out not only starting pitcher Andrew Grogan but reliever Connor Ollio as well, as they drew back within two runs.
After trading sacrifice flies in the bottom on the fourth and top of the fifth, the Tar Heels took a 6-4 with half the game to go. UNC and CSU combined for just seven hits, but 14 walks over the first four and a half innings.
The sixth and seventh innings were dominated by pitching. UNC’s Joey Lancellotti and Will Sandy recorded back to back 1-2-3 innings. Buccaneer pitching also settled down, striking out four and walking none.
The Tar Heels saw the rest of their lead disappear in the top of the eighth, as Austin Love gave up a double to CSU pinch hitter Max Ryerson to even the score at six.