University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Virginia Tech
No. 11 Tar Heels Drop Series Finale To Virginia Tech
April 10, 2016 | Baseball
CHAPEL HILL --- Virginia Tech scored twice in the ninth and held on to take a 4-3 win over No. 11 North Carolina Sunday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium. After a Tyler Ramirez home run, Carolina loaded the bases with two outs before Cole Kragel got Eli Sutherland to foul out to end it. Phil Sciretta had three hits to lead the Hokies, who snapped a 17-game losing streak with the victory.
Carolina (23-9, 8-7 ACC) scored an unearned run in the first before Sciretta singled home a run in the third to tie the game at 1. Ramirez put Carolina in front with an RBI single in the seventh, but the Hokies tied it in the eighth before getting two in the ninth against Brett Daniels (2-1).
Ramirez blasted his seventh home run out to deep right with two gone in the bottom of the ninth before the Tar Heels loaded the bases on an error, a hit by pitch and a walk. But Kragel (1-1) dug out of a 3-0 hole to Sutherland to get the final out.
Neither starting pitcher factored into the decision. Jason Morgan pitched into the fifth and allowed just one run on three hits, but the Tar Heel right-hander walked five and hit a pair of Hokies. Packy Naughton gave Virginia Tech (11-22, 2-13 ACC) seven strong innings, allowing two runs on six hits.
Brian Miller had two hits and stole his 18th base of the year, a total that ranks second among ACC players. A.J. Bogucki had another stellar relief outing, striking out five over 1.2 innings in relief of Morgan. Spencer Trayner followed Bogucki and allowed an unearned run in 1.1 frames.
Next up for UNC is a showdown with South Carolina at BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte. Game time on Tuesday is set for 7:05 p.m.
