Another Carolina team is trying to get it done the hard way.
The Diamond Heels have been following a familiar pattern for certain UNC sports this school year. After blitzing Hofstra in their NCAA Tournament opener for an eighth straight victory, Carolina could not defend the home field advantage that winning streak produced, lost to VCU and fell into the losers’ bracket with Georgia.
Playing without head coach Scott Forbes, who was ejected from the VCU loss and got a two-game suspension, the Diamond Heels now had the pressure of facing an elimination game at home against a team from the Southeastern Conference.
They held off the Dawgs’ ninth-inning rally to win 6-5 and stay alive and get the rematch with VCU Sunday night. Behind seven runs in the first inning, Carolina went on to win 19-8 and tied a program record for the most runs scored in an NCAA tourney game.
So they will have the Rams again this evening to make it to the Super Regional and compete for the College World Series berth. Even if that happens, they will wait to see if they can stay home in trying to get back to Omaha for the first time since 2018.
Where else have we seen such adversity standing the way of teams trying to finish a strong season or turn around a bad start? How about the unbeaten lacrosse women falling behind Northwestern, 14-7, in the NCAA semifinals and finishing the game with eight unanswered goals? And the men’s basketball faced a tough stretch in ACC play before the magical run to the Final Four?
The interesting dynamic was how both Carolina and VCU played the Sunday night game that turned into a blowout in preparation for meeting again 24 hours later. Did one team or the other rest pitchers and players who will be needed in the regional final?
Carolina, which led 16-5 in the sixth inning, used only two relievers for the last seven innings. The Heels might have more fresh arms than VCU, which used four pitchers, three for at least 2 innings.
Sure it will be difficult, as it was for women’s lacrosse to win a third national championship and for the basketball team to get off the bubble, beat Duke twice sandwiched around surviving Baylor in Fort Worth. And now for the Diamond Heels not to slip up again at home.
Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Joe Bray
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