University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
31-9, 16-5
Pittsburgh
17-20, 8-13
No. 3 Tar Heels Fall In Series Finale, 11-9
April 23, 2017 | Baseball
PITTSBURGH --- North Carolina got the tying runs on base in the ninth but couldn't complete the comeback as the third-ranked Tar Heels dropped the series finale at Pitt 11-9 Sunday afternoon at Cost Field. Brian Miller had two doubles and a homer for UNC, but the host Panthers scored 10 straight runs after falling behind early and held on for the victory.
Carolina (31-9, 16-5 ACC) jumped on Pitt starter Ben Hammer (1-3) for four runs on five hits - including a Brandon Riley three-run homer - in the top of the first, but the freshman right-hander settled in to give the Panthers five solid innings to get his first career win.
Logan Warmoth and Ashton McGee added two hits apiece for UNC, but it was the Pitt offense that was the story after being held in check over the first two games of the series. One inning after Jacob Wright's second home run of the weekend made it 4-3, the Panthers took the lead for good in a five-run third against Austin Bergner and Rodney Hutchison (4-3).
Miller gave the Tar Heels a glimmer of hope with his fifth homer of the year in the seventh, but R.J. Freure kept it 11-5 until running into trouble in the ninth. Six straight Carolina hitters reached against Freure, Isaac Mattson and Sam Mersing, the highlight coming on Miller's two-run double. Singles by Warmoth and McGee brought the go-ahead run to the plate with one out, but Mersing finished the job with a strikeout of Kyle Datres and a Riley groundout.
Pitt improved to 17-20 and 8-13 in the ACC with the win, which helped the Panthers stay in position to qualify for the league tournament next month in Louisville. Carolina, which clinched a spot in the event on Friday, holds a four-game lead over Virginia in the Coastal Division with nine conference games remaining.
UNC returns home for a five-game week starting Tuesday at 6 p.m. against Elon.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Dan Hammer (1-3)
L: Hutchison Jr., Rodney (4-3)
S: Sam Mersing (3)
Batting:
2B: Miller, Brian 2 ; Warmoth, Logan 1
HR: Miller, Brian 1 ; Riley, Brandon 1
RBI: Miller, Brian 4 ; McGee, Ashton 1 ; Datres, Kyle 1 ; Riley, Brandon 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Miller, Brian 2 ; Warmoth, Logan 1 ; McGee, Ashton 1 ; Datres, Kyle 1 ; Riley, Brandon 1 ; Roberts, Cody 1 ; Martorano, Brandon 1 ; Pate, Adam 1
CS: Lynn, Tyler 1
Batting:
2B: Caleb Parry 1 ; Manny Pazos 1
3B: Nico Popa 1
HR: Jacob Wright 1
RBI: Jacob Wright 3 ; Caleb Parry 1 ; P.J. DeMeo 1 ; Manny Pazos 1 ; Alex Amos 1 ; Nico Popa 2
SH: Nico Popa 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jacob Wright 1 ; Caleb Parry 1 ; Nick Banman 1 ; Yaya Chentouf 1 ; Manny Pazos 2 ; Alex Amos 3 ; Nico Popa 2
SB: Jacob Wright 1
