University of North Carolina Athletics
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Carolina Walks Past UNCW, 10-9
April 27, 2016 | Baseball
CHAPEL HILL --- Kyle Datres drove in the tying run in the bottom of the eighth and drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth to lift No. 19 North Carolina to a 10-9 win over No. 19 UNCW Tuesday night at Boshamer Stadium. Hansen Butler worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his third win of the season as the Tar Heels snapped a three-game skid to improve to 27-15. Casey Golden drove in three runs for the Seahawks, who saw their nation-leading 12-game winning streak come to an end.
Carolina sent 11 men to the plate in the first and raced out to a 6-0 lead. Five of the runs against UNCW starter Justin Crump were scored with two outs, with Adam Pate's RBI single capping the scoring after two-run hits by Zack Gahagan and Cody Roberts.
But the Seahawks (27-10) responded with a six-run inning of their own in the third. Nick Feight and Golden had back-to-back RBI doubles off Jason Morgan before Joe Bertone greeted Brett Daniels with a two-run homer to right center that evened the game at 6.
Tyler Ramirez put Carolina back in front in the fourth, scoring on a wild pitch after his leadoff double to center. Brian Miller, who reached base six times on the night, singled home Adam Pate to make it 8-6 after 5.
UNCW would keep coming, however, and the visitors tied the game once again on Golden's two-run double in the seventh. One inning later, Brian Mims gave the Seahawks their first lead with an RBI single off Butler.
Ramirez got the game-tying rally started in the eighth by stealing second after being hit by a Taylor Hyssong pitch. It was one of seven stolen bases for the Tar Heels on the night and it turned into their ninth run when Datres executed a textbook hit-and-run with Logan Warmoth on first.
After tying the game in the eighth, Datres won it in the ninth when Jared Gessel (1-2) missed the mark with his 3-2 pitch with the bases loaded. That forced home Miller, who singled to start the frame, and gave Carolina a key midweek win ahead of the final exam break.
UNC will play its last game of the month Wednesday at 6 p.m. vs. Campbell.
