Bergner Tosses A Gem In 8-6 Win, Tar Heels Clinch Series Over NC State

Saturday, April 28

Raleigh, N.C.

6:30 p.m.

North Carolina

30-13, 17-6

NC State

31-10, 15-8

North Carolina

NC State

Bergner Tosses A Gem In 8-6 Win, Tar Heels Clinch Series Over NC State

April 28, 2018 | Baseball

Box Score Overall Stats Play By Play Box Score

By: T.J. Scholl

RALEIGH -- No. 10 North Carolina took down No. 2 NC State, 8-6, thanks to a gem from Austin Bergner on the mound to secure the series win and move the Heels to 30-13 and an ACC best 17-6 in conference. Bergner tied a career high throwing eight innings while striking out 11 Wolfpack batters, allowing no walks and only surrendering five hits. Since starting 7-7, Carolina has now gone 23-6 over their last 29 games, and has won 16 of their last 18 series dating back to the start of last season.

The Tar Heels broke open the offense and the scoring in the top of the fourth inning. Michael Busch led off with a home run to right center, his 11^th on the year and the first hit of the game for either team. Just one pitch later, Kyle Datres connected and crushed one over the left field wall to push it to 2-0. This marked the first back-to-back home runs since March 16 against Pittsburgh when Datres and Zack Gahagan both balls out of Boshamer Stadium. The inning would continue with a walk to Brandon Riley and an Ike Freeman infield single. The pair then put on a double steal, surprising the Wolfpack and leading to a throwing error that plated Riley on the play giving the Heels a 3-0 lead.

NC State responded by getting their bats going in the bottom of the frame. After a Josh McClain infield single, Will Wilson doubled to right before both were driven in by an Evan Edwards single. A few more batters reached before Bergner got a pop-up and strikeout to get out of the inning, still holding a 3-2 lead.

The Heels extended its lead in the sixth thanks to a Cody Roberts two-out solo home run. This was Roberts fourth home run of the year, but only his third to leave the yard due to an inside-the-park home run against Georgia Tech last weekend.

NC State once again had a response in the bottom of the inning when Wilson hit a two-out solo home run, this one to center field, for his 11th of the year. Bergner quickly responded with a three pitch strike out to end the inning and maintain the lead at 4-3.

But, Carolina got that run back in the top of the seventh inning. With the bases loaded, NC State pitcher Nolan Clenney threw one in the dirt and Dallas Tessar hustled home to beat the throw and push the lead back to two. That was the only run for the Heels in the frame, but it was nearly more. Gahagan hit a laser down the first base line to lead off the inning, but it was snagged by the first baseman. Two batters later, Busch missed his second home run of the day by just a couple of feet and flew out to the wall.

Bergner was able to work around a leadoff single in the seventh, but not before NC State nearly had a big inning of their own. Brock Deatherage skied one down the left field line that barely hooked foul before going over the wall. He popped up to finish the at-bat and Bergner was able escape unharmed.

Bergner continued his stellar performance in the eighth, dialing up two more strikeouts to bring his total to 11 for the evening. Despite having thrown well over 100 pitches, he was able to run it up to 95 mph against Brett Kinneman before getting him to swing overtop a changeup to end the inning. Bergner finished with a final line of 8 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 11 K and 0 BB.

Carolina tacked on a few more runs in the top of the ninth to extend their lead and provide what proved to be much needed insurance. Gahagan got things started with a single to right. Busch was intentionally walked and Datres got hit by a pitch for the second time to load the bases. A passed ball by Patrick Bailey brought in Gahagan to put the Heels up three and move the other two runners over. Riley snuck a grounder up the middle past the infield playing in to plate two more and make it 8-3. The Heels loaded the bases again, but left them that way and headed to the ninth up five.

Those runs were vital as NC State went anything but quietly in the bottom of the ninth. Wilson, Edwards and Bailey hit back-to-back-to-back home runs to start the bottom of the ninth and quickly cut the deficit to 8-6. Brett Daniels was then able to lock in and retire the next three and pick up the save.

The Tar Heels will be back in action and look to complete the sweep tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m.