Horvath’s Heroics Not Enough as UNC Baseball Eliminated in Extra Innings

The Diamond Heels made it interesting, but ultimately came up a few plays short as they fell in extra innings to Iowa in the NCAA Tournament. Carolina’s season is over.

UNC trailed 5-2 entering the eighth inning, but a two-run double from Dylan King (who had entered the game earlier as a pinch hitter) cut that lead to 5-4 heading into the ninth. And with Carolina down to its final two outs, Mac Horvath came through in a big way. The second team All-ACC honoree launched his second home run of the regional to tie the game.

Unfortunately, that home run ended up being Carolina’s final hit of the afternoon. The Tar Heels managed just two baserunners of any kind in extra innings (one of them being Horvath — who then stole his 25th base of the season) and couldn’t find a way through the Hawkeye bullpen. Carolina’s relievers were just as stout until the top of the 13th, when a two-out triple to left center just escaped the diving Horvath in the outfield and plated an Iowa run all the way from first base. ACC Defensive Player of the Year Vance Honeycutt, normally Carolina’s starting center fielder, had been ruled out for the entire weekend with a nagging lower-body injury.

It could be an unfortunate way to go out for Horvath, who just finished up the best season of his college career and is eligible to be drafted into Major League Baseball this summer. The same can be said of catcher Tomas Frick, who also posted career-best numbers and is in the same class as Horvath. Starting pitcher Max Carlson is also draft-eligible.

Carolina ends the season at 36-24. For the second time in three seasons under head coach Scott Forbes, the Tar Heels finish just 1-2 in NCAA Tournament play.

Featured image via Inside Carolina/Jim Hawkins

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