In some exciting ACC action on Saturday, the 22nd ranked UNC baseball team split a doubleheader with their Coastal Division foes, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Georgia Tech rallied from a five run deficit to take the first game 6-5 on Thomas Smith’s walk-off single, before Benton Moss pitched Carolina to a 5-1 victory in the second leg.

UNC is now 14-9 overall, with a 4-3 mark in the conference, while the Yellow Jackets sit at 16-7 overall and an identical 4-3 ACC record.

Game One

In the first act of the afternoon it looked like victory was a sure thing for the Tar Heels, however Georgia Tech had other plans, in the second consecutive game between the two teams to be decided in the ninth inning.

Freshman JB Bukauskas was cruising on the mound early on, Korey Dunbar picked up where he left off last night with an RBI double in his first at-bat, and third baseman Alex Raburn hit a Grand Slam in the top of the fourth that put UNC ahead by five runs.

The feat was made even more impressive by the fact that Georgia Tech starting pitcher Brandon Gold came into the game with a 3-0 record and a flawless 0.61 ERA.

JB Bukauskas continues to be lights out for UNC, despite getting a no decision in Game 1. (UNC Athletics)

JB Bukauskas continues to be lights out for UNC, despite getting a no decision in Game 1. (UNC Athletics)

But the Yellow Jackets were not going to lie down that easily.

After managing just three hits and no runs against Bukauskas through the first five innings, they found the chink in the young phenom’s armor early in the sixth.

Tech second baseman Wade Bailey singled home A.J. Murray for the first run, and ended Bukauskas’s day. UNC head coach Mike Fox went with his reliable workhorse, Trevor Kelley to try and get out of the inning, but not before right-fielder Ryan Peurifoy drove in two more to bring the boys from Atlanta within striking distance.

With the game becoming closer and closer, the Georgia Tech bullpen certainly did their part to aid the come back, as their combination of Patrick Wiseman, Devin Stanton, and Zac Ryan combined to throw the last four innings without allowing a single hit to a Tar Heel batter.

By the eighth inning, the dam finally broke. Peurifoy picked up his third RBI of the day on a clutch triple off of Kelley, who pitched the final 3.2 innings of the game, that pulled the lead within one. Then center-fielder Daniel Spingola’s ground rule double down the left-field line allowed Peurifoy to come across and tie the game.

Although Carolina was able to pull out the big hit when it mattered last night, it was not to be in this one. Alex Raburn walked to lead off the ninth, but the next three men went down in order, to give the Yellow Jackets a prime opportunity to steal this one away.

They would do just that, as first baseman Thomas Smith singled to drive in super-freshman Kel Johnson, and put the finishing touches on a 6-5 victory and an improbable comeback.

Thomas Smith was the hero in the first game, hitting a walk-off single. (fromtherumbleseat.com)

Thomas Smith was the hero in the first game, hitting a walk-off single. (fromtherumbleseat.com)

Game Two

Right away in the second game the Tar Heels showed how bad they wanted to recover from the collapse earlier in the day and earn the series win.

After each team manufactured a run in the first inning, up came UNC’s savior from last night, Korey Dunbar. On the first pitch he saw from Yellow Jackets’ starter Cole Pitts, Dunbar sent a deep blast to to left center-field to give Carolina a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the way.

Back on the mound for the Tar Heels after three weeks away from game action was senior starter Benton Moss.

Judging by today’s outing, it appears Moss is back to full form, as he worked a full six innings, striking out eight Georgia Tech hitters, and allowing just one run on 94 pitches.

Pitts lasted five innings for his team, and kept the game close by not surrendering anything else after Dunbar’s home run, but once the bullpen took over, the Carolina offense had a shot at redemption for their hitless performace against the relievers in the first game.

They were able to scratch across a run in the sixth on a fielder’s choice by Alex Raburn, which scored Skye Bolt. In the next inning, mistakes hurt Georgia Tech dearly, as UNC plated two more runs, one due to a wild pitch and the other because of a throwing error.

Trent Thornton retired all nine batters he faced on the way to his fourth save of the year. (UNC Athletics)

Trent Thornton retired all nine batters he faced on the way to his fourth save of the year. (UNC Athletics)

Last night’s credited winner, junior Trent Thornton, came in at the beginning of the seventh in relief of Moss, and he was on point.

Thornton cruised through the Yellow Jacket lineup tonight after giving up the game-tying home run to Kel Johnson on Friday. He struck out five of the nine batters he faced over three innings, did not allow a hit, and earned his fourth save of the year.

Up Next:

Tuesday marks the next game on the schedule for the Tar Heels, as they’ll welcome the Appalachian State Mountaineers to Boshamer Stadium for a game under the lights. First pitch for that one is set for 6 P.M. Starting pitchers are still to be decided.

Notes From The Day:

  • Alex Raburn’s home run for UNC in Game 1 was his second in a three game span, after having previously hit none for the year. Korey Dunbar achieved the same feat today with his homer in Game 2.
  • Game 2 marked Benton Moss’s first start since going out with arm tightness after the Rhode Island series in late February.
  • UNC scored 10 runs in total on the day, despite cranking out just 11 hits.
  • The Tar Heels also hit just 2-21 with runners in scoring position for the entire day.

FINAL BOX SCORE: GAME 1

FINAL BOX SCORE: GAME 2