In front of a packed home crowd, UNC baseball defeated Stetson 7-4 in Friday’s Super Regional opener. The Tar Heels move one step closer to a return to Omaha for the College World Series with this victory.

It was Cody Roberts who broke a 1-1 tie for Carolina in the fifth inning with a three-run home run, followed by Michael Busch with a two-run shot in the seventh.

Stetson (48-11) entered Friday’s matchup with an 18-game winning streak that dated back to mid-April. The Hatters started the game off strong, taking an early 1-0 lead on a solo home run. UNC (42-18) answered after an eventful first inning that saw Robert hit an RBI double to tie the game.

That score would hold until the fifth inning, when Roberts sent a ball over the left field wall for a 4-1 lead.

Stetson would find momentum late in the game, taking advantage of defensive mistakes by Carolina to narrow the lead to 4-3. Busch would hit his two-run home run in the seventh inning, followed by a walk on bases loaded to give the Tar Heels a 7-3 lead.

The Hatters made things interesting at the end, loading the bases with two outs in the top of the ninth inning. In the end, a fly ball to the warning track ended any hope that Stetson had for a comeback.

With this win, Carolina needs one more victory in the series to make it to the College World Series. The next matchup is scheduled for Saturday, June 9, with the first pitch coming at 12 p.m.

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