Keeping It Heel
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UNC Baseball falls to ECU in four-hour slugfest 11-10

By Andrew Reynolds

CHAPEL HILL, NC - FEBRUARY 19: An Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and NCAA game baseball during a game between High Point and North Carolina at Boshamer Stadium on February 19, 2020 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC - FEBRUARY 19: An Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and NCAA game baseball during a game between High Point and North Carolina at Boshamer Stadium on February 19, 2020 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty Images) /
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In a marathon game that lasted four hours and 13 minutes, the North Carolina baseball team (13-10, 8-7 ACC) fell to East Carolina (W-L, 18-5 ASUN)11-10 in walk-off fashion, Tuesday afternoon.

With a three-game sweep still fresh, UNC looked to turn their fortune around against the same stout ECU team they defeated a week earlier.

North Carolina’s offense exploded in the top of the  first inning for four runs. UNC got the lead-off man on as Justice Thompson hit a double before advancing to third on a ground out. Sophomore Danny Serretti homered to right field to give UNC their first lead in three games 2-0. With runners on first and third with two outs, first-year Joey Castagnozzi swatted a double to drive both runners in and make it 4-0.

But East Carolina responded in the bottom of the first as they rallied behind two walks to load the bases with one out. A single drove in one run and a bases-loaded walk pushed in a second runner to make the score 4-2, but no more damage was done in the inning.

In the top of the second UNC capitalized on three straight walks to load the bases with no outs. Serretti struck out swinging, but Roberts doubled home another two runs for UNC to make it 6-2.

The lead would soon shrink as ECU got three straight hits in the bottom of the second that produced the third run for the Pirates to make it 6-3. With runners on first and third with one out, ECU hit a sacrifice fly to make it 6-4.

The action stopped in the third inning as both teams went three up and three down. While UNC did not score in the top of the fourth, ECU managed two runs on three hits and a walk to even the game at 6-6.

North Carolina broke the tie in the top of the sixth as junior Angel Zarate delivered a two-run bomb with one out to give UNC the late 8-6 lead. Roberts came to the plate with two outs and belted a solo home run to extend the lead 9-6 for North Carolina.

First-year Tyler Causey pinch hit in the top of the seventh and  homered on the first pitch to right field to extend the UNC lead to 10-6.

ECU later clawed their way back to even the score 10-10 behind a double, a two- run home run, a walk and another two-run bomb in the bottom of the eighth.

The game went into the bottom of the ninth with both teams locked at 10, but ECU rallied with one out to force home the deciding run and get the walk-off win 11-10.

Head Coach Scott Forbes commended his team on the effort showed and the way his team competed in a game that saw plenty of lead changes and momentum shifts.

“I thought we jumped on them early, thought our guys were ready to play, thought they had the right response to losing that series at home to NC State against a good East Carolina team,” Forbes said. “We just, we couldn’t hold them off and we just didn’t get it done on the bump.”

While no losing streak is ever convenient, UNC faces ACC opponents in the next three weekend series. With this marking the fourth straight loss for the Diamond Heels, they turn their attention to ACC opponent Florida State in a crucial weekend series with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday.

Next. UNC drops series to NC State. dark

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