The North Carolina baseball team (43-17, 17-13 ACC) cruised past Georgia Tech (41-17, 19-11 ACC) 10-2 on Sunday to win the ACC Tournament, the team's first since 2013. The Tar Heels scored four runs in both the sixth and ninth innings and limited the Yellow Jackets to just four hits on the day.
What happened?
Seeking their fourth postseason win in five days, the Tar Heels began by giving up the first run of the day in the third inning, when Jackson Webb scored thanks to a throwing error. In the fifth inning, an RBI single to left center from redshirt junior Dallas Tessar tied the game at one apiece.
Then, in the sixth, North Carolina got rolling. A home run from ACC Freshman of the Year Aaron Sabato brought in a pair of runs; then, another homer from junior Ashton McGee batted in two more runs, giving the Tar Heels a 5-1 lead in the span of a few at bats.
Junior Michael Busch threw in a home run of his own an inning later, a solo shot to push the lead to five.
All throughout, UNC was dominant on the mound, allowing just one earned run on the day with the other coming as the result of an error. Redshirt senior Hansen Butler earned the win with a no-hit performance in 2.2 innings, while starter Connor Ollio allowed two hits and struck out three in 2.1 innings.
Later in the ninth inning, another four runs from the Tar Heels all but decided the game. After a fielder's choice allowed Busch to score from third with the bases loaded, junior Brandon Martorano blasted a three run home run, the Tar Heels' fourth of the day, to put North Carolina up 10-1.
In the bottom of the ninth, Joey Lancellotti allowed one run, an RBI single, before Tyler Baum came in to deliver the final out of the game. Baum picked up a slow rolling grounder and tossed it to first, securing the win and an ACC title for the Tar Heels.
