Wake Forest’s Nick Kurtz delivered the game-tying hit with the Demon Deacons down to their last strike in the ninth, then hit the go-ahead two-run home run in the top of the 12th to send the Diamond Heels to a 9-5 loss in the ACC Tournament on Friday night. UNC is eliminated from the tournament.

It appeared Wake would have its way, as ACC Pitcher of the Year Chase Burns pitched six dominant shutout innings and struck out 15 Tar Heels. Burns left with a 4-0 lead and was in line for the win, but Carolina rallied against the Deacon bullpen. Parks Harber, Anthony Donofrio and Luke Stevenson all collected RBIs in the seventh, cutting the lead to 4-3. In the eighth, Vance Honeycutt played hero by smashing a game-tying RBI double, then coming around to score on a Harber single to make it 5-4 UNC.

In the ninth, Matthew Matthijs recorded the first out before walking Wake’s Cameron Gill. Matt Poston came in from the bullpen, recorded the second out of the inning before battling Kurtz – a first team All-ACC honoree – to a full count. It was on that 3-2 pitch that Kurtz drove a double into the gap, scoring the tying run. Carolina went down in order in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extra innings.

The Tar Heels had a golden opportunity to walk the game off in the bottom of the 11th, loading the bases with one out for Gavin Gallaher. But with the infield in, Gallaher hit a ground ball to the shortstop, who threw home to nab pinch-runner Carter French at the plate. Colby Wilkerson then grounded out softly to end the threat.

Wake Forest made Carolina pay immediately, as the first batter singled before Kurtz sent one out of the ballpark. The Deacons added two more in the inning for good measure, and the exhausted Tar Heels had no answer.

UNC will now await its NCAA Tournament bid, which will be announced on Monday at noon. The Diamond Heels, who sit at 42-13 overall, are viewed as a likely top 8 national seed, which would mean Carolina would host not only an NCAA Regional at Boshamer Stadium, but potentially a Super Regional as well.

 

Featured image via UNC Baseball on Twitter

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