University of North Carolina Athletics
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No. 16 Tar Heels Fall To No. 9 UCLA, 6-5
February 21, 2016 | Baseball
LOS ANGELES --- Eric Filia's bouncing ball up the middle scored Luke Persico with the winning run as No. 9 UCLA knocked off No. 16 North Carolina 6-5 Saturday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium. Carolina pitchers struck out 16 Bruins and allowed just four hits on the day but the hosts took advantage of seven Tar Heel walks to even the series at a game apiece. The rubber game is set for Sunday afternoon at 4 ET (1 PT).
J.B. Bukauskas established a career high with nine strikeouts in 4.2 innings but he departed in the fifth after allowing just one hit. Cole Aker (0-1) took the loss in his UNC debut after walking Persico and giving up the game-winner to Filia.
Carolina (1-1) opened the scoring with a three-run second. Tyler Ramirez led off the inning with a single against Griffin Canning and moved to third on an error. Logan Warmoth drove in Ramirez and later scored on a Cody Roberts RBI groundout, with Adam Pate providing the other run-scoring hit with a double to right.
UCLA (1-1) took its first lead of the weekend with two runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Kort Peterson made it 4-3 with his two-run single off Zach Rice, who faced two batters after replacing Bukauskas.
That lead would last just two batters as Warmoth led off the sixth with a triple and scored on Pate's infield single. The Tar Heels nosed back in front with a Roberts RBI single to left, but that would be all for the Carolina offense.
The Bruins tied the game in the seventh on a wild pitch. Spencer Trayner, who struck out three in 1.1 innings, walked two to start the inning. Hansen Butler came on and dominated, striking out four in 2.2 frames. But his third strike to Filia with a runner on third in the seventh got away from Roberts and pinch-runner Daniel Amaral scored from third to tie it.
Tucker Forbes, the fifth UCLA pitcher, worked two scoreless innings to pick up the win.
Ramirez, Warmoth, Pate and Roberts had two hits each for the Tar Heels, who out-hit the Bruins 12-4.
Jason Morgan will get the ball for Carolina in the series finale, with freshman right-hander Kyle Molnar starting for UCLA. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. PT (4 p.m. ET) with live audio on GoHeels.com.
