Keeping It Heel
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UNC Baseball: Diamond Heels clinch ACC Coastal Division title

By Zack Pearson

FORT BRAGG, NC - JULY 03: A detailed view of baseballs prior to the game between the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves on July 3, 2016 in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The Fort Bragg Game marks the first regular season MLB game ever to be played on an active military base. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
FORT BRAGG, NC - JULY 03: A detailed view of baseballs prior to the game between the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves on July 3, 2016 in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The Fort Bragg Game marks the first regular season MLB game ever to be played on an active military base. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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The UNC Baseball program has officially clinched the Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division with a win on Thursday and loss by Duke

For the second-straight year, the North Carolina Tar Heels are champions of the Coastal Division.

Following a win over Virginia Tech on Thursday afternoon, UNC trimmed its magic number down to just one with two games remaining. They entered this final series of play 1.5 games up on Duke  despite losing last weekend’s series and needed two wins or just one Blue Devils loss to clinch the Coastal.

That happened late on Thursday night. With the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets win over the Blue Devils, the Tar Heels sit 2.5 games up with just two to go and are officially the champs of the Coastal Division.

Duke scored early in the game, plating a run in the top of the first inning before a lightning delay of 2:10. Following the delay, Georgia Tech was able to overcome a three-run deficit and build a four-run lead en-route to the 9-6 win.

The clincher comes hours after the Tar Heels got back on track with a big 9-1 win over the Hokies.

Starter Cooper Criswell pitched very well, throwing seven shutout innings and dominating the Hokies hitters as he picked up his fourth win of the year. Criswell allowed 8 hits but struck out 6 batters on the day.

UNC was able to jump out to an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Singles from Brandon Martorano and Zack Gahagan got UNC on the board and they never looked back.

Martorano went 3-for-4 with four RBI and hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh to put the finishing touches on the game.

Friday’s game has been moved up to a 1 p.m. ET start time due to inclement weather expected in the area. UNC will enter the game as ACC Coastal Division Champions but will have the chance to win the No. 1 overall seed for the conference tournament next week.

Next: Diamond Heels fall in final poll

The Tar Heels entered the final series tied with Clemson for the best record in the conference. With the win over the Hokies on Thursday, UNC is still in good shape to clinch that No. 1 overall seed.

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