UNC Baseball drops game one in ACC Tournament 5-3

The No.6 North Carolina Baseball team (26-25, 18-18 ACC) lost their first game of the ACC Tournament 5-3 to No.10 seed Pittsburgh, Tuesday evening.

After losing two of three at Georgia Tech in the regular-season finale, North Carolina headed into the ACC Tournament as the sixth seed. While the No.10 seeded Pittsburgh lost their last seven, this was no easy opponent as the Panthers won two of three from the Tar Heels in their lone series this season.

Both teams went scoreless in the first inning, but in the top of the second, Pittsburgh utilized two walks and a wild pitch to set up runners on second and third with one out before they drove in a run that gave them the lead.

Despite a leadoff walk from Mac Horvath in the bottom of the second, North Carolina quickly hit two fly-outs that stalled their momentum. Max Riemer laced a double as Horvath chugged around third and turned for home. Unfortunately, the relay throw just beat Horvath to the plate as UNC failed to tie the game.

Pittsburgh led off the top of the fifth with a single, and a one-out double pushed runners in scoring position. With a wild pitch and a sac fly the Panthers added two runs that made it a 3-0 lead. With two outs in the inning and a runner on first, North Carolina rallied behind three singles from the top of the order pushed in two that cut the deficit 3-2.

Both teams went quiet until the top of the eighth where Pittsburgh led off with a walk before a two-run homer extended their lead to 5-2. The North Carolina offense loaded the bases with the use of two walks and a HBP with one out. Tomas Frick hit an RBI groundout that moved the Tar Heels closer as the game was 5-3.

North Carolina ultimately failed to come back and dropped game one of the tournament.

Head Coach Scott Forbes said the team gave Pittsburgh too many opportunities and they ultimately got the big hit that UNC could not collect.

“We just need to play better, at the end of the day we just have to play better,” Forbes said. “I didn’t think we played that well top to bottom, we gave them some free outs and some free passes.”

Walks plagued UNC pitching throughout the game as they surrendered five—three of them led off the inning for Pittsburgh. These leadoff walks this helped Pittsburgh get a lead and keep the Tar Heels behind as two of those three that led off the inning eventually came around to score.

With the next game against ACC rival North Carolina State Wolfpack in Charlotte, NC,  Angel Zarate felt this was the epitome of  playoff baseball—an intense rivalry game with a packed stadium.

“Technically it is just another game but we know the level we have to play at,” Zarate said. “We know the level we’re going to play at because we see that NC State red we just automatically play at a higher level”

The game against NC State is set for Friday evening with first pitch set for 7 p.m.

For coverage of this game and all things UNC sports head over to Keeping It Heel!