Keeping It Heel
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UNC Baseball: Tar Heels topple Georgia Tech, capture ACC championship

By Blake Cockrum

OMAHA, NE - JUNE 21: Shortstop Josh Horton #12 (center) of the North Carolina Tar Heels is congratulated by teammates after hitting a solo homer in the fifth inning during the Tar Heels 7-4 win over the Rice Owls in Game 13 of the NCAA College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium on June 21, 2007 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
OMAHA, NE - JUNE 21: Shortstop Josh Horton #12 (center) of the North Carolina Tar Heels is congratulated by teammates after hitting a solo homer in the fifth inning during the Tar Heels 7-4 win over the Rice Owls in Game 13 of the NCAA College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium on June 21, 2007 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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The UNC baseball team captured its seventh conference title in program history with a victory over Georgia Tech in the ACC Championship game

Not long ago, things weren’t looking so good for a North Carolina team that stumbled into the ACC Championship as a 5-seed, losing two out of three games to conference rival NC State to close out the regular season.

Eight days and four games later, the Tar Heels are the 2019 ACC Champions.

Extra-inning victories over Virginia and Miami, followed by a 13-run blowout of Boston College was capped off with an absolute gem by the UNC pitching staff against No. 2 seed Georgia Tech on Sunday.

https://twitter.com/DiamondHeels/status/1132729618165915653

Down 1-0 after four innings, North Carolina finally got on the board in the fifth, thanks to a Dallas Tessar single that scored Ike Freeman, who got on base with a four-pitch walk to start the inning.

The Tar Heels quickly added to their run total with four runs in the top of the sixth. ACC Freshman of the Year Aaron Sabato and second baseman Ashton McGee both hit 2-run home runs over the right-center field wall, increasing the Tar Heels’ lead to 5-1 after six innings.

North Carolina junior slugger Michael Busch sent his own shot over the right field wall in the seventh inning, his 15th of the season, giving the Tar Heels a five-run lead with just three innings to go.

The Tar Heels added to their lead in the ninth inning with a Michael Busch walk, a Danny Serretti single, and an Ike Freeman fielder’s choice that made the score 7-1. Then, to cap off the Tar Heels’ latest offensive outburst, a three-run home run by junior catcher Brandon Martorano made the score 10-1.

After scoring the game’s first run in the third inning, the Yellow Jackets never really threatened, gathering just four hits and two runs for the game; half of which came in the ninth inning after a routine fly ball turned into a double — which should have been scored an error — and Georgia Tech’s second run of the day.

Despite their 10-2 loss on Sunday, they’ll likely still earn a top-8 seed for the NCAA Tournament, while the Tar Heels will almost undoubtedly get a top-16 seed and be a regional host.

Next. 6 Tar Heels named preseason All-ACC. dark

Stick with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on the Tar Heels in the NCAA Tournament, and everything North Carolina baseball.

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