Gavin Gallaher's walk-off grand slam propels UNC to NCAA win against Long Island

After the second pitch of his last at-bat, Gavin Gallaher blacked out.

Senior pinch runner Jackson Van de Brake stopped just past second base, turned and watched the ball. 

UNC players rushed from the dugout and gathered around home plate as the pitchers sprinted from the bullpen out in left field. Luke Stevenson rounded second and pointed at Gallaher trailing behind him. Then, the first-year catcher did it again as he rounded third and clapped his hands. 

Coming out of his unconsciousness, Gallaher threw his helmet up as he neared home plate. And when he touched home, he was mobbed by his teammates, all of them jumping up and down together. With one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning and North Carolina down 8-6, Gallaher did what every baseball player dreams of: he hit a walk-off grand slam. 

“I don’t think it really has yet [sunk in],” he said. “I was just happy to get the job done for the team.” 

In No. 1-seeded Diamond Heels' 11-8 win during their first game of the Chapel Hill Regional against Long Island, the first-year third baseman proved to be the spark that UNC needed. During his NCAA tournament debut, Gallaher went 3-4 with two home runs and six RBIs, leading the Tar Heels to the winner’s bracket of the regional. 

North Carolina struggled all evening offensively against Long Island pitcher Garrett Yawn, who was able to vary his pitches between fastballs and changeups to catch the Tar Heel batters off guard.

As Yawn collected seven strikeouts through six innings, Gallaher felt comfortable all game. He quickly became the exception. 

“I felt like I did a good job of that tonight, I felt like I saw all these pitches well,” Gallaher said. “And I also noticed patterns watching those guys in front of me [and] the kind of pitch sequencing that their pitchers were going through and stuff like that.”

Last Friday night, Gallaher was in almost the exact same situation in UNC’s 9-5 loss against Wake Forest in the ACC tournament. With one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the eleventh inning — after UNC fought back from a four run deficit — Gallaher reached on a fielder’s choice, with sophomore pinch runner Carter French being called out at home.

“I didn’t get the job done that time, so I just kind of used that experience to really trust myself and know I was gonna get it done this time,” Gallaher said. 

So, his debut took on another theme: redemption. And he proved himself time and time again. 

Against Long Island, it was Gallaher who ignited the North Carolina offense. The first-year hit a solo shot in the fourth inning to bring the Tar Heels within one after the Sharks' JC Navarro hit a three-run homer to make the score 3-1 in the third.

And then Gallaher found the same rhythm again during the next at-bat. 

With two runners on base in the bottom of the sixth, the third baseman doubled to left field to bring senior designated hitter Alberto Osuna home. His efforts kindled a three-run inning to push the Tar Heels back in front.

“What separates guys is their work ethic and he goes out there everyday,” graduate outfielder Anthony Donofrio said. “He just loves the game, loves the process and it is a testament to his ability. Look what he did tonight.”

But he didn’t just get it done on the offensive end. In the top of the sixth inning, Gallaher made a diving catch along the third base line and tagged out the Long Island player at third to help save a potential run.  

Then in the ninth inning, Gallaher made an off-balance throw to first while falling back — a play that Forbes said kept the Tar Heels in the game. 

But all his efforts seemed lost after LIU's Jacob Pipercic sat on a hanging changeup in the ninth inning to crank a three-run homer to left field. A potential loss seemed to await North Carolina at the hands of the Sharks. 

Still, the stage was set for one last heroic feat from Gallaher. With memories of an extra inning loss to Wake Forest coursing through his mind, the first-year waited for his chance during his last at-bat with bases loaded. There were no nerves.

And after the second pitch, he knew it was over as soon as the ball left his bat. As he slowly walked to first base, he watched the ball leave the park and hit the scoreboard.

Then came the blackout and the celebrations and the water fights.

After it was all over, Forbes shared many smiles with Gallaher. The head coach could only marvel at what the first-year was able to do during the whole game and the last at-bat.

“That kid’s got a slow heartbeat and he had a slow heartbeat for us tonight,” Forbes said. 

@mdmaynard74

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