A trip to the College World Series. That’s what was on the line for the North Carolina baseball team as it competed in the Chapel Hill Super Regional against Auburn.
But in the drama-packed three games, it was the Tigers who reigned victorious, benefiting from three high-scoring innings over the weekend to punch their ticket to Omaha, Neb., and to end the Tar Heels' season.
In Game 1, North Carolina’s offense started off fast, carrying over the energy from the ACC Tournament and regional round, where the Tar Heels scored a combined 61 runs in seven games.
First-year Aaron Sabato hit an RBI double down the right field line to score junior Michael Busch, then a single from junior Ashton McGee scored two more runs for a 3-0 lead in the first inning. That helped the Tar Heels to a 5-2 advantage heading into the eighth inning, needing just six outs to secure the Game 1 victory.
Then it happened – the UNC bullpen faltered. In the last two innings, Auburn exploded to score nine runs on six hits, handing North Carolina its first Game 1 loss in a Super Regional since 2003 against South Carolina.
Still, the Tar Heels had been in 1-0 deficits before. In the regular season, North Carolina lost the opening game in three ACC series this season – against Miami, Virginia Tech and Virginia – and won the next two games in all three to secure series wins.
In Game 2, the UNC offense again found its groove early. With two men on base in the first inning, third baseman Ike Freeman hit a single to left field, driving in a pair of runs to grab a 2-0 lead.
Those runs were all the Tar Heels needed to secure the victory.
On the mound, a pair of Austins –Austin Bergner and Austin Love – pitched for UNC and combined to shut out the Tigers. A mixture of dominance on the mound in Game 2 and the ability to secure an early lead allowed the Tar Heels to force a winner-take-all Game 3 on Monday.
