UNC crushes Pittsburgh’s ACC Tournament Cinderella story in semifinal win

Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, their Cinderella story has come to an end at the hands of the UNC baseball program.

The Diamond Heels brought the boom, clubbing a season-high six home runs while collecting 13 runs on 22 hits to claim their spot in Sunday afternoon's ACC Tournament title game.

Pittsburgh was the story of this week's ACC Tournament, battling as the No. 14-seed all the way to the semifinal round. While the magic was on the side of the Panthers throughout the week, especially when they battled back in the top of the ninth inning to defeat No. 7-seeded Florida State in the quarterfinals, the luck simply ran out, but early on, it felt like it could carry over.

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Facing right-hander Ryan Lynch, the Panthers got on the board right away, scoring two runs in the top half of the first inning. Unfortunately for them, the lead wouldn't last very long, as the Tar Heels tied the game back up just two batters into their half inning.

Who was responsible for the damage? Who else but Mr. May himself: Gavin Gallaher.

The junior second baseman deposited one into the seats in right field, setting the tone for the offensive explosion that was set to come forth on the cloudy and rainy day in Charlotte.

By the time the second inning came to a close, the Tar Heels already had six runs to their name. Rom Kellis joined the home run party, clubbing his first of two on the day in the bottom of the second, as the Diamond Heels simply jumped all over Pittsburgh's depleted pitching staff.

Four more homers would help pace the constant offensive attack. Erik Paulson took one opposite field to left for a solo homer in the fifth inning, while Cooper Nicholson and Kellis both left the yard in the bottom half of the sixth. Colin Hynek added one for insurance in the bottom of the eighth, completing the Tar Heels' outstanding offensive display.

Give Pittsburgh a ton of credit: what they did this week in Charlotte isn't easy to do! They have definitely put themselves in the mix for a spot in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, and, if you watched them in action this week, the eye test surely indicates they belong.

That will be up to the committee, but they are a team that got hot at the right time and showed its true value, but ultimately ran into one of the best teams in the country as they aimed to make a title game appearance.

The clock struck midnight, as North Carolina was the ones to spoil the Cinderella story.

Now, the Diamond Heels are set for a rematch with Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament finals on Sunday afternoon. Two of the nation's best squads will battle it out one last time, as Georgia Tech would love to get some revenge on North Carolina following their series loss to the Tar Heels during the regular season.

Can Scott Forbes and the Tar Heels secure an ACC Tournament title for the second consecutive season, or will the regular season champion Yellow Jackets find a way to get the job done?

Needless to say: Sunday's game is must-see television.

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