hannah leyva
·4 min read
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WNCN) — There was plenty of late-game drama on the first day of the Chapel Hill Regional in this year’s NCAA baseball tournament, and it ended with some, too, as it took more than nine innings to determine the bracket’s winner.
North Carolina (45-14) emerged victorious over defending champions LSU (43-23) from the hard-fought game, winning 4-3 in ten innings.
With two outs in the top of the tenth, UNC’s Johnny Castagnozzi drove a deep fly ball to right field that was misplayed by outfielder Jake Brown, putting the go-ahead run in scoring position. Gavin Gallaher was then intentionally walked, leaving LSU’s Gage Jump to face Alex Madera.
After working a full count, Madera laced a single up the middle to score pinch-runner Jackson Van De Brake.
In their half of the tenth, LSU was down to their last out, but Tar Heels pitcher Dalton Pence walked Jared Jones with two outs after working to a full count. Facing Josh Pearson, who had hit multiple home runs this weekend, Pence got him to fly out to right to end the game.
To get to the extra frame, UNC needed some timely hitting.
Down 3-2 going into the top of the ninth inning, the host Tar Heels were facing their last three outs before a potential season-ending loss at Boshamer Stadium, where they’ve lost less than a handful of games this season.
But after a lead-off double by Gallaher and a strikeout via bunt by Madera, Colby Wilkerson hit a bloop single to left off LSU’s hard-throwing Jump to tie up the game at 3-3. Despite the Tar Heels threatening for more, UNC couldn’t score a go-ahead run, leaving two more runners on base.
Then in the bottom of the ninth, LSU’s Hayden Travinski hit a one-out single to get the winning run on for the Tigers, but was left stranded as UNC’s Pence locked in to shut down two more batters, leading to the extra inning.
LSU forced a deciding game with an 8-4 victory over North Carolina on Sunday.
The Tar Heels, the No. 4 team in the country, will host super regionals next weekend at Boshamer Stadium. They’ll face West Virginia, who won the Tucson Regional.
Earlier in the game Monday evening, Samuel Dutton was replaced after surrendering three straight singles to begin the game in a start for LSU (43-23). Javen Coleman entered and walked Anthony Donofrio to force in a run. The Tar Heels scored another run on a double play for a 2-0 lead.
Tommy White greeted North Carolina freshman starter Jason DeCaro with a single to lead off the bottom of the first. Jared Jones was hit by a pitch with one out and both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch. White scored on a groundout by Josh Pearson, but DeCaro retired Michael Braswell III on a fly ball to center field to escape without any further damage.
LSU went to its third pitcher — Will Hellmers — just one out into the second inning after Coleman walked Alex Madera and hit No. 9 batter Colby Wilkerson. Hellmers struck out Vance Honeycutt on three pitches before walking Casey Cook on four pitches to load the bases. Parks Harber flied out to the warning track in left center to end the threat.
Jake Brown homered to right center on the first pitch he saw from DeCaro to knot the score with two outs in the second.
Matthew Matthijs replaced DeCaro to begin the third and surrendered the lead on a two-out solo home run to right center by Jared Jones. It was the only run Matthijs allowed in 4 1/3 innings of work.
Hellmers retired 12 straight batters after a leadoff single by Donofrio in the third inning. Alex Madera led off the seventh with a single to end the streak but Hellmers retired the next three batters. He walked the leadoff batter to start the eighth and was replaced by Nate Ackenhausen, who struck out the side.
North Carolina has made 11 College World Series appearances, most recently in 2018. The Tar Heels have never won the event, finishing as the runners-up twice, in 2006-07.
LSU was aiming for its eighth title and 20th appearance in the College World Series. The Tigers had lost just once — to Florida in 2017 — when they made it to the finale.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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