University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Miami
No. 2 Miami Tops No. 7 Carolina, 7-3
April 3, 2016 | Baseball
CORAL GABLES, Fla. --- No. 2 Miami used a five-run third inning to take control in a 7-3 win over No. 7 North Carolina Saturday night at Mark Light Field. Tyler Ramirez and Zack Gahagan homered for the Tar Heels, who have dropped consecutive games for the first time in 2016. Miami's Michael Mediavilla pitched into the eighth to improve to 5-0 on the year, while J.B. Bukauskas suffered his first loss.
Carolina (20-6, 6-5 ACC) jumped on Mediavilla for two in the second, the first coming on Ramirez's team-leading sixth home run of the year. Logan Warmoth followed with a double, and he would come around to score on a Kyle Datres sacrifice fly that made it 2-0.
But the Hurricanes (22-4, 9-2 ACC) sent nine men to the plate in the third, using a big inning for the second straight night to take control. Christopher Barr's two-run single tied the game before Bukauskas got Jacob Heyward to foul out for the second out of the inning. But after a walk to Johnny Ruiz, Brandon Lopez cleared the bases with a three-run triple that put UM ahead for good.
Miami added an insurance run in the fifth before Gahagan's long homer to left pulled the Tar Heels within three. But after Mediavilla's night ended with one out, Frankie Bartow and Bryan Garcia combined to get the final five outs and give the 'Canes a series-clinching win.
With two doubles on the night, Warmoth upped his season total to a team-leading nine.
A.J. Bogucki worked two scoreless innings in relief, striking out two.
Jason Morgan will get the ball for the Tar Heels in Sunday's series finale at 1 p.m.
