For over three months, the UNC baseball team racked up win after win like they were going out of style.

The Tar Heels eventually rose to No. 2 in the national rankings, ended a two-year postseason drought and appeared poised to make a run to the College World Series.

That is, until a plucky underdog showed up at Boshamer Stadium and threw a wrench into all those plans.

After holding off the Tar Heels for a controversial 2-1 victory on Sunday night, the Davidson Wildcats–making their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance–also eliminated UNC with their second victory over the home team in the last three days.

The controversy arose when it seemed the Tar Heels had tied things up with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning on a single from junior Zack Gahagan.

Brandon Riley came around to score the tying run and was initially called safe. Umpires then reversed the decision, however, saying he did not touch home plate.

This left freshman Michael Busch–who provided the team’s only run of the night with a solo home run in the fifth inning–as UNC’s last hope.

Busch grounded out, though, which completed yet another shocking upset for Davidson–and sent the Chapel Hill Regional’s No. 4 seed to the Super Regional round.

Davidson scored each of its two runs in the top of the fifth inning, which prompted UNC to make the switch from sophomore Taylor Sugg to closer Josh Hiatt.

Hiatt locked the Wildcats down over the next 4.2 innings, but the offense simply was unable to break through against Davidson’s pitching combination of Josh Hudson and Durin O’Linger.

The result was a heartbreaking finale to an incredible season–one which saw the Tar Heels put together a record of 48-13 and take home their first ACC Coastal Division Championship since 2013.

 

 

FINAL BOX SCORE

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