UNC Baseball Uses Sunday Comeback to Win Home Series vs. Louisville

The Diamond Heels earned a key series win against Louisville at Boshamer Stadium during the weekend, and Carolina had to mount a comeback in the series finale Sunday to do so.

The series opener saw UNC earn another 10-run rule result in an 11-1 win which was ended after eight innings. Carolina seized control with three runs in the third inning and two in the fourth to take a 6-1 lead, then blew the game open even further with three runs in the seventh off RBI knocks from Macon Winslow, Owen Hull and Colin Hynek. With the score 9-1 entering the eighth, Cooper Nicholson ended things early on a two-run home run to left field. The 11-1 win was UNC’s ninth via the run rule this season.

Those offensive fireworks disappeared the next day, as Carolina’s bats could not find any success against Louisville pitcher Wyatt Danilowicz. Danilowicz allowed just two hits and a walk across seven innings, striking out 11 Diamond Heel hitters along the way. Louisville only managed two runs against UNC starter Ryan Lynch, but those were enough in the 2-0 Cardinal win. It was the first time all season Carolina had been shut out.

Louisville looked to be on its way toward a series win Sunday, as the Cardinals led 4-2 entering the eighth inning. At that point, UNC had managed just two runs across its past 16 innings of baseball.

That all changed in the bottom of the eighth, as Carolina loaded the bases with two out, then drove in its third run on a Jake Schaffner walk. Up next was Gavin Gallaher, who tied the game with a single as every runner moved up a base. Erik Paulsen finally delivered the decisive blow, launching a booming double to the opposite field and clearing the bases. UNC led 7-4 entering the ninth.

https://twitter.com/DiamondHeels/status/2035807840728711529?s=20

But Carolina wasn’t out of the woods yet, as Louisville responded in the ninth with a two-run home run after the leadoff man was hit by a pitch. Matthew Matthijs replaced Caden Glauber on the mound for UNC, and Matthijs worked around a single to record the final two outs and seal the 7-6 win.

Carolina is now 20-4-1 overall this season and 6-3 in ACC play following the series win. Up next, UNC will play its annual game against South Carolina at Truist Field in Charlotte Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. before visiting Notre Dame next weekend for a three-game series.

Featured image via UNC Baseball on Twitter

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UNC Baseball Uses Sunday Comeback to Win Home Series vs. Louisville

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