Miami Slugs Past UNC in Top-10 Series Opener

If UNC needed a reminder of what it takes to truly be among the nation’s elite baseball teams, it most certainly got one Friday night–as the No. 7 Tar Heels fell 10-4 to the No. 4 Miami Hurricanes at Mark Light Field in South Florida.

A participant in last year’s College World Series, the Hurricanes (21-4, 8-2 ACC) and their experienced lineup forced UNC ace Zac Gallen into his toughest start of the year–pounding out 15 hits in the game.

Gallen (3-2) was finally pulled after giving up four runs and six hits in the fifth inning, allowing Miami to break a 1-1 tie and open up a comfortable lead that would hold up the rest of the way.

Over his first five starts of the season, Gallen went at least seven innings in each. In each of his last two–against Georgia Tech last Friday and this game against Miami–he was unable to last longer than five.

In all, the junior surrendered 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings–striking out four hitters while throwing 91 pitches.

Despite defeating Davidson this past Tuesday in a non-conference game, the Tar Heels have dropped three of their last four conference outings and are now 20-5 overall and 6-4 in the ACC.

This shows that the young Tar Heels–while still extremely talented–have met their match in the ACC gauntlet.

Wins are always at a premium in a conference that boasts eight teams in the most recent D1baseball.com Top 25 poll–including UNC’s past two weekend opponents.

After Miami broke through against Gallen in the fifth inning, the Tar Heels experienced another let down in the sixth.

A combination of three relievers–Cole Aker, Chris McCue, and Taylor Sugg–struggled to find the strike zone in the frame, walking three Miami hitters and hitting another.

The end result was three more runs for the Hurricanes–one following a wild pitch by Sugg–with the benefit of just one hit.

Entering the night UNC was 14-0 this season in games where it scored in the first inning.

Freshman designated hitter Brandon Riley, who reached base in all six of his at-bats for the Tar Heels against Davidson, drove in Brian Miller with a double in the first inning on Friday–representing the only run UNC was able to scratch across until the late stages of the night.

Miami tied the game in the second inning, then rode its starting pitcher–junior Thomas Woodrey–through the seventh. Woodrey (3-2) wasn’t spectacular, striking out just two batters, but he was good enough to limit the Tar Heels to only four hits on 102 pitches.

At one crucial moment in the top of the fifth UNC loaded the bases against Woodrey with two outs and the game still tied 1-1. However, Woodrey got Miller to line out to left field–putting an end to the threat immediately.

Not until Woodrey was removed from the game did the UNC bats finally start to break through, but by then it was too late.

Looking for the late boost that has become common this season, UNC shortstop Logan Warmoth drove in a pair of runs of reliever Keven Pimentel in the visiting half of the eighth inning to make it an 8-3 ballgame.

Although that never-say-die attitude has benefited UNC is most games this season, the Hurricanes’ star right fielder, Willie Abreu, quickly put an end to any of those thoughts with a two-run double in the bottom of the eighth.

Right fielder Adam Pate picked up an RBI single for UNC off Pimentel in the ninth– however the next batter up, Riley,  flew out to end the contest.

Up Next:

The Tar Heels will have a chance to even up the three-game series with the Hurricanes on Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m.

Game Notes:

• Miami had five players who recorded two hits in the game.
• The Hurricanes also went 7-for-15 with runners in scoring position.
• UNC had three errors and four wild pitches.

 

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