No. 8 Tar Heels Drop Series Finale, 6-2

Sunday, March 26

Chapel Hill

12:00 PM

North Carolina

18-6, 6-3

Miami

11-13, 4-5

Miami

North Carolina

March 26, 2017 | Baseball

Box Score

By: UNC Athletic Communications

CHAPEL HILL --- Miami used a four-run sixth to break open a close game and salvage the series finale with a 6-2 win over No. 8 North Carolina Sunday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium. Carolina out-hit Miami 11-7 but the Hurricanes capitalized on four Tar Heel errors and used timely hitting to support a strong start from Michael Mediavilla. Brian Miller and Brandon Riley had three hits each for the Tar Heels, who have won three straight ACC series despite the loss.

Miami took a 1-0 lead in the first without a hit. Cole Aker (1-1) started and faced just two batters, hitting one and walking the other. The Hurricanes (11-13, 4-5 ACC) scored thanks to a throwing error on a stolen base.

Carolina (18-6, 6-3 ACC) squandered a golden opportunity in the bottom half against Mediavilla (3-3). The Tar Heels loaded the bases with just one out, but Mediavilla got Tyler Lynn and Zack Gahagan to pop out to end the threat.

UM doubled its lead in the fourth on a Gregory Veliz triple before the pivotal four-run sixth. Austin Bergner surrendered four straight singles in the inning and all four Canes came around to score on two RBI hits, a sac fly and a safety squeeze.

The Tar Heels pulled two runs back in the seventh on RBI singles from Michael Busch and Logan Warmoth, but Andrew Cabezas struck out Ashton McGee to end the inning. Carolina then brought the tying run to the plate in the eighth, but Frankie Bartow got Busch to ground out to first. Bartow worked around a leadoff single by Miller in the ninth for his sixth save.

Rodney Hutchison Jr. worked five innings of relief and allowed just one run on two hits, striking out four. Taylor Sugg was also strong out of the pen, posting three shutout innings.

Carolina returns to action Tuesday at 6 p.m. against Coastal Carolina.