A walk-off sacrifice fly from Gavin Gallaher in the bottom of the 11th inning gave the Diamond Heels a 5-4 win against No. 24 Coastal Carolina at Boshamer Stadium Tuesday night, preserving UNC’s perfect start to the 2025 season.

The thrill of victory came despite the agony of a blown ninth-inning lead, as UNC’s Matthew Matthijs inherited a 4-3 lead but allowed the tying run to score on a single. Coastal Carolina then nearly took the lead in the top of the 11th against reliever Cameron Padgett: following a single, the Chanticleers’ Wells Sykes sent a ball down the right field line and into the corner. Right fielder Tyson Bass slipped as he tried to field the ball, allowing the Coastal Carolina runner to round third base and head for home. But Bass recovered in time to find infielder Jackson Van De Brake, who fired a perfect relay throw to catcher Luke Stevenson. Stevenson applied the tag in the nick of time, and the game stayed tied at 4-4.

In the bottom of the 11th, UNC loaded the bases after a single from Van De Brake – who then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and to third on a wild pitch – and walks to Kane Kepley and Luke Stevenson. That brought up Gallaher, who skied a 3-1 pitch deep into center field, well deep enough to score Van De Brake from third base.

Padgett earned his second win of the season with his two innings of scoreless relief. Folger Boaz, Walker McDuffie, Ryan Lynch and Matthijs combined to work the first nine innings, with the starter Boaz giving up the first three Chanticleer runs over four innings. At the plate, freshman Perry Hargett continued his hot start to the season with a two-RBI triple in the fourth inning.

The win is UNC’s first via walk-off this season. The 13-0 Diamond Heels will put their perfect record on the line once again when they host Stanford for the first ACC series of the season this weekend. First pitch of Friday’s opening game is scheduled for 4 p.m.

 

Featured image via UNC Baseball on Twitter

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