Hurricanes Earn Top-15 Series Victory Against Tar Heels
Article photo of Miami pitcher Chris Scinta; photo credit to @CanesBaseball
Miami took game one of the series 5-4. The Hurricanes pitched eight scoreless innings, as pitcher Gage Ziehl gave up four runs in the third inning. The Canes struck out 10 on the day. The pitchers owned the day on Thursday.
Then, The Tar Heels rebounded.
Friday's game featured plenty of crooked innings for both squads, for they had 12 hits each. The batters owned the day on Friday, but UNC was the victor in the eleventh inning 9-8.
It was a heartbreaking defeat for the Hurricanes. Miami closer Ronaldo Gallo entered the game for Andrew Walters and quickly worked himself to two outs.
On the final out of the inning, Tar Heel first baseman Hunter Stokely blasted the ball to right field for a solo walk-off home run.
The starting pitchers for the Hurricanes and Tar Heels had rough starts. Alejandro Rosario had the better start as he pitched 4 and 2/3 innings and allowed five hits and three earned runs.
Tar Heel pitcher Conner Bovair pitched three innings and gave up five hits as well, but he allowed six earned runs. Bovair allowed three runs in the first and third inning.
Despite the loss, Miami was still very well in a position to win the series.
Miami coach Gino DiMare gave Gallo the start on Saturday despite giving up the walk-off run to UNC. It was a gutsy call by DiMare, but also a smart one.
Gallo pitched two innings and allowed one run in his start.
Miami pitcher Ben Chestnutt pitched 3 and 1/3 innings and allowed two earned runs. But, Miami pitched seven scoreless innings.
Miami was getting the barrel on the bat Saturday, for they had 10 hits including home runs by Zach Levenson and Lorenzo Carrier.
Miami was able to battle through the two-run inning in the sixth by the Tar Heels and won the game 4-3.
Miami was unranked to enter the series. But in the new D1Baseball Top-25, The Hurricanes are No. 17 in the nation.
Miami is 22-13 overall and 10-8 in the ACC. The Canes have a home contest with Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday before making the rounds to Boca Raton to take on Florida Atlantic on Wednesday.
Miami will begin its weekend series at Alex Rodriguez Park with Georgia Tech on Friday.
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