Tar Heels Earn 5-4 Win Over UCLA To Open Regional Play

Friday, June 4

Lubbock, Texas

7 PM

North Carolina

28-25

UCLA

35-19

North Carolina

UCLA

June 4, 2021 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Aury St. Germain

LUBBOCK, Texas – Austin Love's nine strikeout performance and a late-inning home run from Danny Serretti guided UNC (28-25) to a 5-4 win over UCLA (35-19) in the Tar Heel's opening game in the Lubbock Regional.

Love's nine punchouts tonight pushed him to 129 for the season, which ranks second all-time in UNC history for strikeouts in a season, four behind Andrew Miller, who had 133 in 2006.

The win gave UNC a victory in 26-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, which dates back to 1982.

Angel Zarate and Caleb Roberts each recorded a single in the first inning, but it was UCLA who scored the game's first run in the bottom of the frame with an RBI double down the left-field line.

North Carolina was quick to answer in the second inning after a lead-off double to right field off of the bat of Brett Centracchio. With one out, Will Stewart ground out to second base to plate Centracchio for his second RBI of the season. The game was Stewart's first action since against Clemson on March 14.

Love was terrific throughout the evening and retired 13-straight batters from the first through the sixth inning, which included eight strikeouts. He ended with nine punchouts, which were the most by a Carolina pitcher in an NCAA Tournament game since Patrick Johnson had 11 against James Madison in the 2011 Chapel Hill Regional.

Stewart recorded his second and third RBI of the night in the fourth inning with a two-out single to centerfield to give Carolina a 3-1 lead. The freshman plated Caleb Roberts and Centracchio, who walked and singled, respectively.

The Tar Heels had an opportunity in the sixth inning after Mac Horvath singled to third base and Centracchio smacked his second double of the game, but each were stranded in scoring position and Carolina claimed a 3-1 in the middle of the sixth frame.

The Bruins cut the lead to one run in the sixth inning, but Love picked up his ninth strikeout of the inning to end the frame.

Danny Serretti extended North Carolina's lead to 5-2 in the seventh inning with a two-run home run to straight-away centerfield. It was the shortstop's ninth home run of the season, which ranks second on the Tar Heel squad.

UCLA trimmed Carolina's advantage to two runs in the bottom of the seventh frame with an RBI single up the middle. The Bruins pulled within one run in the eight after a wild pitch allowed UCLA to scratch across its fourth run of the contest.

Caden O'Brien, Nik Pry and Shawn Rapp each saw action in the eighth.

Centracchio finished the contest 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, while Zarate, Serretti, and Stewart each recorded a pair of hits.

Love earned the decision and tallied 6.2 innings pitched, six hits, three runs, two walks and nine punchouts.

With the win, Carolina advanced to the winner's side of the Lubbock Regional bracket and will face host and No. 8 national seed Texas Tech tomorrow at 9 p.m.