The Diamond Heels dropped the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader vs. Virginia, but walked off the Cavaliers in the second to avoid a three-game sweep.

As it did in game one of the series, Virginia blew Carolina out in Saturday’s opener, leading 8-0 in the sixth inning on its way to a 9-2 win. UNC starting pitcher Ryan Lynch struggled through four innings, allowing five runs on six hits before he was pulled. For Carolina, its only offense came on solo home runs from Gavin Gallaher in the sixth inning and Owen Hull in the seventh. UNC managed just two hits otherwise.

Virginia got off to another hot start in the second game of the doubleheader, taking a 5-1 lead in the fourth inning after Carolina had scored first on another Gallaher home run. But this time, the Diamond Heels rallied, scoring two runs apiece in the fifth and sixth innings to tie the game at 5-5.

In the ninth, it looked like Virginia might steal the game and earn the sweep after scoring a run off UNC reliever Walker McDuffie, but freshman Tyler Howe came up clutch in the bottom of the inning by blasting his first collegiate home run over the right field fence.

Carolina threatened to walk the game off in the ninth by loading the bases for Macon Winslow, but the catcher struck out swinging to force extra innings.

After scoreless 10th and 11th innings, Virginia again put itself three outs away from a sweep with a run off Matthew Matthijs in the 12th, taking the lead again at 7-6. In the bottom of the inning, Winslow began Carolina’s game-winning rally with a walk before yielding to pinch runner Perry Hargett. The speedy Hargett paid the gamble off by advancing to second base on a wild pitch, then scoring on a Hull double to tie the game at 7-7. After Hull then advanced to third on another wild pitch, Howe came up clutch again with a walk-off single to seal UNC’s 8-7 win.

After the weekend series, UNC is now 13-3-1 on the season and 1-2 in ACC play. Carolina will be back in action Tuesday when it hosts Bucknell at Boshamer Stadium before heading west for a three-game series at Cal during the weekend.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Ainsley E. Fauth

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