No. 13 Carolina Drops ACC Opener To No. 8 Louisville, 5-4

Friday, March 9

Louisville, Ky.

4 p.m.

North Carolina

7-6, 0-1

Louisville

13-0, 1-0

North Carolina

Louisville

March 9, 2018 | Baseball

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By: T.J. Scholl

Louisville, Ky. – After a back and forth game that saw the Tar Heels leave 10 runners on base, No. 13 North Carolina dropped its ACC opener to No. 8 Louisville, 5-4, at Jim Patterson Stadium Friday night. The Heels took the early lead, but Louisville scored at least one run in the last three innings to hold on to the victory as Carolina drops to 3-4 in one-run games this season.

The Tar Heels took the early 2-0 lead in the second inning thanks to a pair of singles from Ike Freeman and Dylan Enwiller. Ashton McGee led off the inning with a walk before a single from Zack Gahagan put runners on first and second. After a balk advanced both runners to scoring position, Freeman lined a single to center field to drive home McGee for the 1-0 lead. In the next at bat, Enwiller hit a slow chopper to third base for the infield single as Gahagan came home to double the Tar Heel lead.

Louisville took the lead in the bottom of the sixth with a big three run inning to take a 3-2 advantage. The leadoff man Josh Stowers doubled on the first pitch of the inning before Jake Snider grounded out to Ike Freeman and advanced Stowers to third. Devin Mann and Danny Oriente followed with back-to-back walks and Logan Wyatt made the Heels pay with a bases clearing triple as the Cardinals took its first lead of the game.

It didn't take long for Carolina to respond as they scored one run in the top of the seventh to even things up, 3-3. Freeman was hit by a pitch to start the inning before the Cardinals walked three straight batters to bring home the tying run for the Heels.

Louisville answered back with a run of their own in the bottom of the seventh to take the 4-3 lead. After the Heels hit back-to-back Cardinals to put two runners on, Jake Snider singled to right field to score the runner from second. It looked like the Cardinals were going to put more runs on the board, but a double play with bases loaded helped Brett Daniels get out of the inning.

Once again, the Tar Heels didn't let the lead last long as Brandon Martorano hit the first pitch of the eighth inning over the left field fence to tie the game, 4-4.

Like they had done over the last two innings, Louisville responded with a run to take a 5-4 lead heading in to the ninth inning. After back-to-back walks to Wyatt and Justin Lavey, a sacrifice bunt from Drew Campbell put runners on second and third. After a wild pitch from Cooper Criswell, Wyatt barley beat Martorano's tag at home to give the Cardinals the decisive advantage.

Carolina looked like they were going to tie the game in the top of the ninth after Datres made his way to third base, but the Heels couldn't drive him home as they dropped game one of the series, 5-4.

Tyler Baum got the start for the Heels and went six innings giving up five hits, four runs and striking out five batters. Criswell picked up his second loss of the season after throwing one inning, giving up the game-winning run on a close play at the plate.