Over the first two games of its three-game series with Long Beach State–which both ended in losses–the eighth-ranked UNC baseball team managed to scrape together just five hits in each game.

With a chance to avoid being swept by the Dirtbags at Boshamer Stadium on Sunday, the Tar Heel bats woke up and put together five runs in the fifth inning–before letting the bullpen hold on for an 8-5 win.

The offensive outburst happened just after Long Beach State (6-5) chased UNC starting pitcher Jason Morgan from the game in the top of the fifth after scoring three runs to take a 3-2 lead.

Sophomore third baseman Kyle Datres started the rally with an RBI groundout with the bases loaded. However, it was senior Tyler Lynn that broke it open with his two-run triple smoked down the right field line.

Ike Freeman–a freshman who went 2-for-2 off the bench, including a solo home run in the eighth inning–then doubled home Lynn in his first at-bat of the day for the Tar Heels.

He then came around to score himself soon after, taking advantage of a throwing error by Dirtbag third baseman Ramsey Romano.

UNC (9-3) then relied on its talented, young bullpen to close the door on a Long Beach State team hoping to make a statement with a sweep over a top-10 squad on the road.

Rodney Hutchison (1-0), a sophomore out of Mason, Ohio, was credited with the win after taking over for Morgan in the fifth–but it was a pair of freshmen who did the heavy lifting.

The Tar Heels received three solid innings from 6-foot-4-inch Austin Bergner, before handing the ball to closer Josh Hiatt for the final two outs.

Long Beach State did manage to scrape across a couple of runs in the top of the ninth, but it would not be enough to seriously threaten UNC’s lead.

After struggling to put the bat on the ball for most of the weekend, the Tar Heels were able to find enough offense on Sunday–for one inning at least–to avoid a major letdown this early in the season.

Up Next:

UNC will move on to host VCU on Tuesday at Boshamer Stadium, before welcoming Virginia–and the start of ACC play–on Friday.

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