The No. 14 UNC baseball team (10-5, 6-3 ACC) fell just short of revenge against Liberty (11-5, 3-0 ASUN) on Tuesday evening with a final score of 6-4, after a previous loss to the Flames on March 9.
What happened?
Liberty came out strong in the first few innings, as outfielder Gray Betts scored for the Flames, while the Tar Heels were unable to get on base in the first inning. Liberty advanced its lead in the second inning, scoring three times, while UNC went three up, three down.
But the Tar Heels battled back in the third and fourth innings, with a run from first-year first baseman Tyler Causey opening the Diamond Heels' account in the third. The fourth inning saw a solo home-run from sophomore shortstop Danny Serretti, followed by a double from Causey that drove in first-year catcher Tomas Frick.
Despite UNC’s hot streak in those two innings, the team went cold after, going scoreless in the next three innings and only scoring once in the eighth, despite sophomore transfer outfielder Justice Thompson and redshirt sophomore outfielder Angel Zarate’s base hits. Liberty was able to score four more times, making the final score 8-4 in favor of the Flames.
Who stood out?
Thompson has been a rapidly emerging star for the Diamond Heels as a junior college transfer this season. Even with a loss tonight, the sophomore was a key player for UNC, saving a three-run home run in the first inning with a leap over the center field wall.
First-years Causey and Frick both stood out for the Tar Heels, each with two hits and a combined three runs.
