No. 2 Florida State scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to snatch the lead away from the Diamond Heels and win 5-4 in the regular-season finale for both teams Saturday afternoon in Tallahassee.

Carolina trailed for much of the day after the Seminoles struck for three runs in the bottom of the first inning against Aidan Haugh. Haugh was able to limit the damage after that, but only lasted 4.2 innings before giving way to freshman Ryan Lynch. Lynch and fellow freshman Walker McDuffie combined to hold Florida State scoreless until the eighth, giving UNC time to rally.

An Alex Madera single in the second cut the deficit to 3-1, and that score held until the top of the seventh. After Tyson Bass drew a one-out walk and Florida State made a pitching change, freshman Sawyer Black greeted the new Seminole hurler with a two-run blast to right field, tying the game at 3-3.

McDuffie worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the inning to set the stage for Gavin Gallaher in the eighth, who sent a solo shot over the right-center field wall to give UNC its first lead of the day.

But FSU’s rally started immediately, with the leadoff man reaching against McDuffie and advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt. Camron Seagraves came into the game and recorded the second out before intentionally walking the Seminoles’ Alex Lodise, the league’s leading hitter at .429. The move came back to bite the Diamond Heels, as Florida State tied the game with a single in the next at-bat. Lodise then scored on another single to give the Seminoles a 5-4 lead.

Black drew a one-out walk in the top of the ninth, but UNC couldn’t find any more late-inning magic.

With the loss, UNC ends the regular season 39-12 overall and 18-11 in ACC play. The Diamond Heels have clinched a double-bye in next week’s ACC Tournament and will be the No. 3 seed in the field. Georgia Tech is the No. 1 overall seed, Florida State No. 2 and NC State No. 3.

The ACC Tournament begins Tuesday, May 20 in Durham.

 

Featured image via UNC Baseball on Twitter

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
College Baseball Foundation Names UNC's Jake Knapp National Pitcher of the Year
UNC right-hander Jake Knapp has been named the National Pitcher of the Year by the College Baseball Foundation. 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 👏 Jake Knapp is the 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿. pic.twitter.com/uFaFnNZAWy — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) June 13, 2025 Knapp missed the entirety of the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery during the […]
Late Collapse Dooms UNC Baseball in NCAA Super Regional Game 3
Arizona capitalized on a pair of fielding errors in the top of the eighth inning to score three runs and stun the Diamond Heels 4-3 in the winner-take-all game of the NCAA Super Regionals at Boshamer Stadium Sunday afternoon. UNC’s season is over. Carolina entered the inning leading 3-1 on the strength of a three-run […]
UNC Baseball in the 2025 NCAA Super Regionals: How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Start Times
UNC baseball is hosting a super regional round, as the No. 5 Diamond Heels welcome the Arizona Wildcats for a best-of-three series.
'We Can't Overlook Today': UNC Baseball Learning From Past Drama Entering NCAA Tournament
If any team in the country knows not to take a so-called “cupcake” NCAA Tournament game lightly, it’s the Diamond Heels.
UNC Baseball Ranked No. 1 in D1Baseball, USA Today Polls
Both the writers and the coaches agree: the Diamond Heels are No. 1. The D1Baseball.com Top 25 poll and the USA Today Coaches’ Poll ranked UNC No. 1 in the nation this week. Carolina is coming off an ACC Tournament championship in Durham last weekend. Forward focused. #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/oel22W2sUO — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) May 27, […]
Chansky's Notebook: Tar Heel Trifecta
It was hard to leave the TV screen on a scintillating Sunday across UNC women's lacrosse, baseball and golf.
UNC Baseball Rides Big Inning to Blowout Win in ACC Championship Game
The Diamond Heels scored eight runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and crushed No. 5 seed Clemson 14-4 in the ACC Championship Game Sunday afternoon in Durham. The win clinches UNC’s ninth ACC Tournament title, second under fifth-year head coach Scott Forbes and third in the last six tournaments. 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃 🏆 We're […]
UNC Baseball Uses Late Rally to Beat Florida State in ACC Semifinals
The Diamond Heels scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning on their way to a 7-5 victory against No. 2 seed Florida State in the ACC Tournament semifinals Saturday in Durham. UNC will face No. 5 Clemson in the championship game Sunday at 12 p.m. 𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐋𝐒 𝐆𝐎 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 We're on to the […]
UNC Baseball in the ACC Championship: How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Start Time
The Diamond Heels will play in the ACC Tournament at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in downtown Durham this week. Carolina is the No. 3 seed in the field and will face No. 5 Clemson in the championship game Sunday. UNC is seeking its first tournament title since 2022. The tournament’s full bracket can be found […]
Here's the Complete Bracket for the 2025 ACC Baseball Tournament
The ACC Baseball Tournament returns to Durham Bulls Athletic Park in downtown Durham this week. The tournament will begin Tuesday, May 20 and conclude Sunday, May 25. The tournament has a new format this season, moving away from the "Pool Play" model used in years past. This season, the tournament is a simple, single-elimination tournament which mirrors the brackets for the men's and women's basketball tournaments. The top four teams receive double-byes into the quarterfinals, while the teams seeded 5-8 receive byes into the second round. The teams seeded 9-16 will play Tuesday in the opening round.
›