The sixth-ranked UNC baseball team snapped its three-game losing streak Saturday evening at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park with a close 5-4 victory over the East Carolina Pirates.

After taking an early 3-0 lead, the Tar Heels (3-3) fell behind in the bottom of the fifth inning when ECU (5-1) managed to drive in four runs against the pitching combination of Tyler Baum and Austin Bergner.

Junior third baseman Kyle Datres tied things up for UNC in the very next inning, however, with a deep blast over the Blue Monster in left field.

A groundout by Ike Freeman in the seventh then allowed Brandon Martorano to score from third base to take the lead–not long after Martorano hit a clutch double with no outs to get the inning going.

From that point on, Tar Heel closer Josh Hiatt showed why he was named a Preseason All-American heading into the year.

ECU put runners in scoring position in each of the final two innings, but Hiatt found a way to escape each time by forcing two double plays–earning his first save of the season.

Sophomore transfer Dallas Tessar ultimately led UNC with three hits in his first start for the team, while Datres and Michael Busch added two apiece.

Busch also continued his hot start with a pair of RBIs in the first and third innings, respectively.

Up Next:

The Tar Heels will host the Pirates at Boshamer Stadium for the series rubber match on Sunday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.

 

 

FINAL BOX SCORE

 

Photo via Jeffrey A. Camarati (UNC Athletics)

Related Stories
‹
No. 11 East Carolina Rallies to Beat UNC Baseball in High-Scoring Showdown
Despite holding a 10-6 lead through seven innings, the UNC baseball team fell 11-10 to No. 11 East Carolina on Tuesday in Greenville–representing the Tar Heels’ fourth straight loss. It was a painful way to cap a wild game filled with offense from both sides, as the two teams combined for 21 runs on 32 […]
Tar Heels Suffer 12-0 Blowout Loss to ECU in Series Rubber Match
Sunday’s series finale at Boshamer Stadium saw the East Carolina Pirates hold the sixth-ranked UNC baseball team to just three hits in what ultimately turned into a 12-0 blowout win for the visitors. ECU (6-1) clinched the series victory with the win, having won Friday in Greenville before dropping Saturday’s game at the Durham Bulls […]
McGee Helps UNC Earn Walk-Off Win Over ECU in Extras
Coming off back-to-back thrilling victories over the weekend at Florida State, the fifth-ranked UNC baseball team did it again Tuesday night at Boshamer Stadium. Freshman Ashton McGee went just 1-for-6 in the game, but his bases-loaded single with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning handed the Tar Heels a 3-2 victory over […]
UNC Baseball Earns Road Victory at East Carolina
The No. 10 UNC baseball team picked up some in-state bragging rights on Wednesday night, traveling to Greenville and earning a 6-2 victory over the East Carolina Pirates at Clark-LeClair Stadium. Sophomore rightfielder Brandon Riley–a Burlington native–led the charge by going 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBIs for the Tar Heels (16-5, 4-2 ACC), […]
Former UNC Star Michael Busch Shines at MLB All-Star Futures Game
Former UNC star Michael Busch became just the fourth Tar Heel to ever play in the MLB All-Star Futures Game on Sunday, and made the most of his time on the field. Busch was selected in the first round (31st overall) of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers and has been playing […]
No. 2 Seed UCLA Ends Season for No. 3 Seed UNC at NCAA Baseball Tournament
Having used up the arms of many of the team’s top pitchers over the first two days at the NCAA Baseball Tournament Lubbock Regional, No. 3 seed UNC suffered a season-ending loss to No. 2 seed UCLA on Sunday by a score of 12-2. The Tar Heels (28-27) gave reliever Connor Ollio just his third […]
Top-Seeded Texas Tech Powers Past No. 3 Seed UNC, Puts Tar Heels on Brink of Elimination
Saturday night in Lubbock saw the top-seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders prove why they earned the right to host an NCAA Regional, as they put No. 3 seed UNC on the brink of tournament elimination with a 7-2 victory in their home stadium. The Tar Heels came into the night riding the high of an […]
No. 6 Seed UNC Eliminated From ACC Tournament Contention With Loss to Pitt
With a 5-3 loss to No. 10 seed Pitt on Tuesday night at Truist Field in Charlotte, the No. 6 seed UNC baseball team saw its chances to advance to the ACC Tournament semifinals disappear. The Tar Heels (26-25) still have a game to play against No. 3 seed NC State on Friday, but even […]
Georgia Tech Takes Regular Season Finale Over UNC Baseball
The UNC baseball team dropped its regular season finale on Saturday afternoon in Atlanta, falling to Georgia Tech by a score of 10-6. It didn’t take long for the Yellow Jackets (28-21, 21-15 ACC) to pick up where they left off on Friday night with the bats, scoring three times in the second inning, six […]
Georgia Tech Outlasts UNC Baseball in High-Scoring Thriller
Offense was plentiful on Saturday night in Atlanta, but it was Georgia Tech that got the last laugh against the UNC baseball team–hitting a walk-off solo home run to win by a score of 10-9. The Tar Heels (26-23, 18-17 ACC) fell behind 5-0 after the Yellow Jackets put five runs on the board in […]
›