(Jeffrey A. Camarati/ UNC Athletics)

The Tar Heels might have lost, 12-2, on one bad pitch.

It seems ridiculous to say, but if Carolina could have gotten out of the second inning against Mississippi State Tuesday, the Diamond Heels might have beaten the Bulldogs instead of getting crushed in the eight-run eighth.

Austin Bergner hung a curve ball to the No. 9 hitter, Jordan Westburg, who about hit it out of Omaha for a grand slam home run and 4-1 lead that Mississippi State never lost. Yes, it was a hanger, but the freshman batter was the worst in the lineup who had hit one other dinger all season.

The Tar Heels had chances to get out of that inning unscathed before Westburg ever came to the plate. Committing an error and missing a potential double play kept them on the field long enough for the nine-hole hitter to unload his bomb.

Bergner retired the next 16 batters he faced and struck out eight Bulldogs before coming out after seven. He threw one bad pitch that put Carolina on the defensive, and sometimes that’s all it takes in baseball — and sometimes there comes a frame to forget.

Despite crawling back to 4-2, Carolina had one of those innings that Mike Fox said has given him nightmares his entire coaching career. Everything went wrong to let a close game blow up into a blowout and leave UNC one loss from coming home.

The team vying to chase them out of Omaha is a familiar foe. The same Oregon State Beavers the Tar Heels beat in the College World Series opener is now the opponent in the elimination game Wednesday night. Carolina’s past CWS history against OSU is not very pretty.

Fortunately, Fox’s team played the same kind of game against the Beavers Saturday that it will take to beat them again and get another crack at Mississippi State to make the championship, three-game series. Cooper Criswell, who was not supposed to pitch Saturday, had to go two-and-a-third innings after Luca Dalatri left the game in the first inning. Criswell gets the start tonight at 7.

The roster shined all Saturday, making great plays on the field and getting big hits as Carolina defeated its Omaha nemesis, 8-6. That all hands-on-deck game plan is the one Fox will look to execute again or face another early exit from the Series.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Related Stories
‹
Chansky's Notebook: Reece Holbrook is More Than a Feel-Good Story
It’s been a nightmare turned a dream-come-true for Reece Holbrook. Carolina alumni and fans, especially those who follow Tar Heel baseball closely, remember the name Reece Holbrook for several reasons. His mom was Roy Williams’ administrative assistant, his dad was a coach on Mike Fox’s staff and he had a childhood sickness that triggered a movement. At two […]
Chansky's Notebook: An Old Nemesis Roars Back
That the number eight rhymes with “Oregon State” is no coincidence. Maybe Mike Fox should lobby for baseball to be seven innings. Because, clearly, eight has not been a good number for his Tar Heels in the College World Series — and for long before that. In his eighth trip to Omaha as a player […]
UNC Baseball Fall Short vs. Oklahoma in Game 3 of National Championship Series
Oklahoma took the lead early and steadily pulled away from the Diamond Heels in Game 3 of the national championship series Monday night.
UNC Baseball in the National Championship Series: How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Start Times
The Diamond Heels will play for the national championship this weekend in a best-of-three series against Oklahoma.
'All Hands on Deck': UNC's Scott Forbes Discusses Pitching Plan for Winner-Take-All Championship Game
Scott Forbes and the Diamond Heels are making every pitcher available for Monday night's winner-take-all championship game.
The Omaha Diaries, Day 8: Father's Day
After his father died last July, Diamond Heels first baseman Erik Paulsen played with extra emotions Sunday against Oklahoma.
'No Other Choice': UNC Baseball Digs Deep to Keep Championship Hopes Alive
The Diamond Heels fought back from an early deficit and an unfortunate injury to beat Oklahoma Sunday afternoon in Omaha.
UNC Baseball Bounces Back, Beats Oklahoma to Force Winner-Take-All Championship Game
The Diamond Heels recovered from an early deficit to beat Oklahoma 6-2 in Game 2 of the national championship series in Omaha Sunday.
The Omaha Diaries, Day 7: David's Team
David from Burlington has become the Diamond Heels' biggest fan thanks to the Team IMPACT program.
UNC Baseball Remains Confident Despite Game 1 Championship Setback
The Diamond Heels remain confident in themselves after losing Game 1 of the championship series against Oklahoma.
›