Sophomore center fielder Justice Thompson’s RBI single in the top of the ninth inning on Friday in Tallahassee proved to be the game-winner, as the UNC baseball team topped No. 18 Florida State by a score of 4-3.

Thompson’s hit came at the most critical time and helped erase the fact that he had struck out in each of his previous four plate appearances in the game.

It also snapped what had been a four-game losing streak for the Tar Heels (14-10, 9-7 ACC), the longest ever under new head coach Scott Forbes.

Colby Wilkerson got the scoring started for UNC in the fifth inning, when he laid a bunt perfectly down the first base line and Johnny Castognozzi made his way across home plate.

In the seventh inning, the Tar Heels tripled their lead on a two-run single by Angel Zarate.

Florida State (13-9, 8-8 ACC) immediately answered with a three-run home run by Elijah Cabell in the home half of the seventh inning–tying the game at 3-3.

UNC starting pitcher Austin Love was done after the seventh, having struck out a whopping 10 Florida State hitters.

Lefty Caden O’Brien ultimately recorded the final four outs for the Tar Heels, including three straight strikeouts to end the game following Thompson’s go-ahead RBI.

Up Next:

The Tar Heels look to clinch the weekend series on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.

 

FINAL BOX SCORE

 

 

Photo via Abe Loven (UNC Athletics)

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

Related Stories
‹
No. 18 Florida State Holds UNC Baseball Scoreless in Sunday's Series Finale
The UNC baseball team was held without a run on Sunday afternoon in Tallahassee, as No. 18 Florida State rolled to an 8-0 victory in the series rubber match. After a hot start to the season, the Tar Heels (14-12, 9-9 ACC) have now dropped five of their last six games. The Seminoles (15-9, 10-8 […]
UNC Baseball Drops Saturday's Game at No. 18 Florida State, Series Tied Up
Florida State’s Robby Martin hit a walk-off two-run homer on Saturday in Tallahassee to lift the 18th-ranked Seminoles to a 4-2 victory over the UNC baseball team–tying up the weekend series heading into Sunday’s finale. That was exactly how Florida State (14-9, 9-8 ACC) started the game as well, taking a 2-0 lead on a […]
Tar Heels Drop Series Rubber Match to No. 7 Florida State
Sunday’s series rubber match at Boshamer Stadium between the UNC baseball team and the No. 7 Florida State Seminoles saw the visitors score five runs in the eighth inning on the way to a 9-4 victory. It was the second straight win in the series for the Seminoles (20-5), after taking the second leg of […]
No. 7 Florida State Tops UNC Baseball in Extra Innings to Even Series
The No. 7 Florida State Seminoles scored three runs in the top of the 10th inning Friday night at Boshamer Stadium to defeat the UNC baseball team 6-3 in the second leg of a doubleheader between the two teams. UNC (14-9) took the series opener 16-8 earlier in the day, but couldn’t quite muster the […]
Busch Homers Twice as UNC Takes Opener of Doubleheader vs. No. 7 Florida State
Sophomore first baseman Michael Busch hit two home runs and drove in a whopping five RBIs Friday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium, leading the UNC baseball team to a 16-8 victory over the No. 7 Florida State Seminoles in the first game of the day’s doubleheader. It also marked the season-high fifth win in a row […]
Inclement Weather Forecast Alters Schedule for UNC Baseball Series vs. Florida State
Due to inclement weather in the forecast for Saturday, the three-game series between the UNC baseball team and No. 7 Florida State had its schedule altered Thursday. The Tar Heels and Seminoles will now play a doubleheader on Friday at Boshamer Stadium, with the first game beginning three hours earlier at 3 p.m. and the […]
Florida State Upsets No. 2 UNC to Claim ACC Baseball Championship
Ranked second in the country–with a squad hell bent on righting some of the wrongs of the past two seasons–the UNC baseball team ran roughshod through the regular season and all three of its tournament opponents on the way to Sunday’s ACC Championship Game in Louisville. The Florida State Seminoles, on the other hand, failed […]
Busch's Home Run Lifts Tar Heels Past No. 12 Florida State, UNC Completes Sweep
Called on as a pinch hitter Saturday night with UNC down to its final out–and on the verge of being on the wrong side of a no-hitter–freshman Michael Busch came up clutch with a game-tying RBI single. He then found himself in a similar situation during Sunday afternoon’s series finale. Fittingly enough, Busch homered and […]
Diamond Heels Held Hitless For Eight Innings, Rally to Take Road Win at Florida State
By the time UNC freshman Michael Busch stepped to the plate with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, Florida State was on the verge of completing a combined no-hitter. Instead, Busch singled home Kyle Datres to help force extra innings–where the eighth-ranked Tar Heels put together three runs in the 11th frame […]
UNC Rides Bukauskas to 3-1 Series Opening Win Over No. 12 Florida State
If there’s any type of crack in JB Bukauskas’ armor, he has yet to show it thus far in 2017. The Tar Heel righty–a first round MLB Draft prospect–improved his individual record to 5-0 on Friday, as he pitched No. 8 UNC to a 3-1 victory over No. 12 Florida State in Tallahassee. Bukauskas struck […]
›