No. 1 Tar Heels Split Two With Clemson

CHAPEL HILL – The No. 1 UNC baseball team split a doubleheader with Clemson on Monday, losing 5-4 in 11 innings in the nightcap after clinching the three-game series with a 6-2 afternoon win.

It was a busy Easter Monday for the Tar Heels and Tigers, who played for nearly seven straight hours to wrap up the series after rain washed out play on Sunday night.

The teams picked up where they left off when the rain hit on Sunday, in the third inning with the Tar Heels leading 2-0. Clemson cut the lead to 2-1 in the fifth inning before Carolina broke it open: Michael Russell stole home in the sixth to give the Heels a 3-1 lead, then first baseman Cody Stubbs sealed the deal in the seventh with a two-out, two-run single.

Trent Thornton got the win in relief to move to 6-0 on the year.

The nightcap was a different story, though. Carolina jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning on a two-out, two-run homer by third baseman Colin Moran, then Stubbs drove in another run on a two-out hit in the fifth to give the Heels a 3-1 lead. But the Tigers stormed back in the top of the sixth: center fielder Thomas Brittle drove in a pair with a single to tie the game, then shortstop Tyler Krieger scored on a wild pitch to put Clemson on top, 4-3.

Colin Moran drove in his third run to tie the score in the seventh—and there it remained until the eleventh inning, when Tigers catcher Garrett Boulware drove in the game-winner with a bases-loaded groundout.

The Tar Heels used eight pitchers in the game; Chris O’Brien took the loss.

The loss snaps a 9-game winning streak for the Tar Heels and drops them to 25-2 on the year, 9-2 in ACC play. Clemson moves to 17-11.

Carolina is back in action on Wednesday at UNC-Wilmington; game time is 6:00 p.m. The Heels will be back in Boshamer Stadium this weekend for a three-game series against Maryland.

No. 1 Tar Heels Split Two With Clemson

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