UNC Baseball Drops Series Finale to NC State, Misses ACC Tournament

The results across the ACC baseball landscape this weekend–including UNC’s 16-4 destruction of NC State on Friday–put the Tar Heels into a simple predicament.

A win Saturday at Doak Field would guarantee UNC’s entry into next week’s conference tournament in Durham.

A loss?

Well, then the Tar Heels (34-21, 13-17 ACC) would need Georgia Tech to win at least once during its double-header against Boston College.

Unfortunately for head coach Mike Fox and his squad, the No. 13 Wolfpack (34-18, 15-13 ACC) were out for vengeance–clinching the series with a 10-1 blowout they can call their own.

Boston College also defeated the Yellow Jackets in both games of the all-important doubleheader in Atlanta.

So for the first time since 2010, the Tar Heels failed to qualify for the ACC Tournament.

Back in Raleigh, though, The Wolfpack received great pitching from each of the four players it used on the mound.

An outstanding start from lefty Ryan Williamson–five strikeouts across 3.1 innings–set the tone, as UNC never once got in a rhythm at the plate–even after Williamson was suddenly removed during the fourth inning .

The Wolfpack pitching staff limited UNC’s opportunities to get on base, holding the Tar Heels to just six hits. (Joe Bray/ UNC Athletics)

Junior outfielder Adam Pate went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI for the Tar Heels, which accounted for half of the team’s six hits.

Those struggles continued over to the pitching for UNC, as right-hander Jason Morgan started and gave up three runs–including a two-run homer to Preston Palmeiro–in just three innings.

It was the eighth time in his last 10 starts Morgan failed to make it through five innings.

Finding the strike zone was a problem for the entire Tar Heel staff–all seven that they used throughout the game.

NC State took full advantage of the control issues, by drawing eight walks and scoring a majority of their runs because of them.

A wild pitch by Morgan in the bottom of the second inning allowed the first run to score, while reliever AJ Bogucki’s pitch hit Wolfpack second baseman Stephen Pitarra with the bases loaded in the fourth.

Similar issues continued into the sixth inning, as Hansen Butler walked Brett Kinneman on four pitches with the bags full to put NC State ahead 6-1.

Cole Aker, a Tar Heel freshman, managed to put the ball right over the plate in the seventh–only for NC State’s Evan Mendoza to put it over the wall in left-center field for a two-run blast.

UNC was unable to come up with any answers in Saturday’s loss to NC State. (Joe Bray/ UNC Athletics)

The Wolfpack seemed perfectly content prolonging the beatdown, just as the Tar Heels were the night before–adding another run in the eighth inning on an RBI single from senior Ryne Willard.

By the end, UNC was left knowing that it no longer controlled its own destiny.

Although it’s been noted that the Tar Heels have a shot to sneak into the NCAA Tournament without making the ACC Tournament, advancing to Durham and winning a couple games would certainly improve their odds.

Now all they can do is wait and watch.

Up Next:

UNC’s regular season is complete, and because the Tar Heels didn’t make the ACC Tourney they’ll have to wait until next Monday to find out if their season will continue into the NCAA Regionals.

Game Notes:

The last time UNC missed the ACC Tourney in 2010, it still qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
It was NC State’s first victory in the series since 2011.
UNC shortstop Logan Warmoth went 1-for-3 on Saturday–finishing the series 7-for-12 with seven RBIs.
The Tar Heels had just five at-bats with runners in scoring position.

UNC Baseball Drops Series Finale to NC State, Misses ACC Tournament

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

On Air Now: 97.9 FM