University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Davidson
Tar Heel Rally Falls Short In 12-11 Loss
March 17, 2015 | Baseball
CHAPEL HILL --- No. 17 North Carolina scored six runs in the ninth but Davdison's Ty Middlebrooks made a jugging catch at the wall for the final out of the game as the visiting Wildcats held on for a 12-11 win Tuesday at Boshamer Stadium. Korey Dunbar and Brian Miller had four hits each for the Tar Heels, who also got home runs from Alex Raburn and Logan Warmoth but couldn't quite overcome a 10-0 deficit in falling to 12-8 on the year.
Davidson (10-5) raced out to its big lead with runs in three of the first four innings. The Wildcats scored a pair of unearned runs in the first off A.J. Bogucki (0-2) and pushed the lead to 7-0 in the third with Alec Acosta's three-run double.
David Daniels' homer was the big blow in the fourth and it was 10-0 before Carolina (12-8) finally scored on Warmoth's first career long ball.
A pair of bases-loaded walks in the seventh restored the Davidson lead to 10 runs before UNC's rally began in earnest. Zack Gahagan, who drove in four runs on the day, made it 12-4 in the bottom of the seventh with a two-run double before Warmoth's RBI single pulled the Tar Heels within seven.
The hole was still seven when Gahagan reached on an error to lead off the last of the ninth against Cody White. Warmoth's fourth hit of the day put two on for Raburn, who sent his first home run of the year out to left to make it 12-8. White got two quick outs before Dunbar doubled to right ahead of Miller's RBI single. Tyler Ramirez walked on four pitches and Adam Pate reached on a bunt single before Gahagan's two-run single pulled UNC within one.
That brought Warmoth up for the second time in the inning. The freshman shortstop from Orlando drove a 1-2 pitch to the wall in left but Middlebrooks, who lost control of the catch while crashing into the wall, juggled the ball and came up with the incredible grab to end it.
Acosta and Daniels drove in four runs apiece for the Wildcats, who were out-hit 16-13 but did just enough to hang on for their first win over UNC since 1987. Evan Roberts pitched 2.2 innings in relief of Ryan Lowe for his first win of the year.
Carolina returns to ACC play Friday when the Tar Heels visit No. 21 Georgia Tech for the first of three in Atlanta.
