Ninth-inning safety squeeze leads Miami to victory over Diamond Heels in series opener

In a back-and-forth opening contest, the No. 13 North Carolina baseball team (23-11, 8-6 ACC) fell to the Miami Hurricanes (21-12, 9-7), 5-4, Thursday night at Boshamer Stadium.

What happened?

Junior pitcher Max Carlson started his ninth start of the year off strong, recording a pair of strikeouts in the first frame. In the bottom of the first inning, junior third baseman Mac Horvath knocked a one-out double into the left-field gap to earn the Diamond Heels’ first base runner of the night. But pitcher Gage Ziehl would retire the next two UNC batters to get the Hurricanes out of the inning.

After a scoreless second, the Hurricanes broke through in the next inning. Redshirt first-year Lorenzo Carrier began the frame with a lead-off moonshot that sailed over the left-field netting -- a blast that traveled over 400 feet. Moments later, first-year second baseman Blake Cyr ripped an RBI double into right center, but Yohandy Morales was thrown out at home to end Miami’s attack. 

In the following frame, North Carolina would punch back. Redshirt first-year Casey Cook and Horvath both tallied singles to get a pair of base runners on with no outs. One batter later, junior second baseman Jackson Van De Brake sneaked an RBI double down the right-field line to cut UNC’s deficit in half. 

The Diamond Heels’ offensive push was far from over, however. Two batters later, junior first baseman Hunter Stokely smashed a three-run blast to the opposite field, giving North Carolina its first lead of the game, 4-2. 

Miami would respond to its first hole of the right over the next three innings. Junior designated hitter Ian Farrow lasered an RBI double down the left-field line in the fourth inning to inch the Hurricanes within a run. Two innings later, Cyr cracked a solo shot to right field to knot the contest up at four runs apiece. 

The Hurricanes kicked off the top of the ninth with a lead-off walk. Shortly after, sophomore Renzo Gonzalez flared a single into right field. Miami would drive home its fifth run of the night with a perfectly executed bunt by sophomore Dorian Gonzalez. 

The safety squeeze proved to plate the game-deciding run, and Miami prevailed, 5-4.

Who stood out?

Stokely continued his impressive junior campaign with a two-hit night at the plate. The first baseman cranked his fifth blast of the season, and his first home run in 13 games, to give the Diamond Heels their first lead of the game in the third inning. 

When was it decided?

Both teams plated runs in the third inning, with North Carolina’s four-run frame giving it an early 4-2 advantage. The Hurricanes would respond with a pair of unanswered runs to tie the game up in the sixth. 

Miami broke the gridlock in the night’s final inning, as a safety squeeze drove home the game-winning run.

Why does it matter?

With the defeat, the Diamond Heels will have to sweep the weekend’s final two contests to earn the series win. 

When do they play next?

North Carolina continues its series against the Hurricanes on Friday. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.

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