A familiar bugaboo bit the Diamond Heels yet again Friday night against Duke, as the Carolina bullpen couldn’t hold an eighth-inning lead in an 8-5 loss. UNC entered the top of the eighth leading 5-4, but four Blue Devil runs turned the game around.

The loss overshadowed what had been a fabulous start from pitcher Connor Bovair, who took a perfect game into the fifth inning. Bovair ended up lasting into the top of the sixth while allowing just three runs, though he did leave the mound on the hook for the loss. But the Tar Heel bats picked Bovair up in the bottom of the sixth, scoring four runs on an RBI double, a passed ball and a wild pitch.

UNC’s 5-3 lead was cut to 5-4 in the seventh on a Duke solo home run and then completely erased the next inning. An RBI fielder’s choice — aided by a Carolina throwing error earlier in the inning — and a three-run home run flipped the script and sent Carolina to its sixth loss of the season. In four of those losses, the Tar Heels led in the seventh inning or later.

Carolina will look to clinch the series with the Blue Devils in Saturday’s rubber match, which begins at 2 p.m.

 

Featured image via Tar Heel Blog

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