Box Score (PDF)
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Mac Horvath hit a first-inning grand slam and finished with six RBI, powering sixth-seeded North Carolina to a 9-6 win over third-seeded NC State in the final game of the 2021 Baseball Tournament’s pool play session Friday night.
NC State entered the game having already clinched a spot in Saturday’s semifinal against No. 2 seed Georgia Tech (5 p.m., ACC Network). The winner will advance to Sunday’s noon championship game against the winner of Saturday’s first semifinal between No. 8 Virginia and No. 9 Duke.
North Carolina (27-25) ended tournament play with Friday night’s win, but the Tar Heels hope they haven’t ended their season. UNC will anxiously await Monday’s NCAA Tournament selections in hope its overall resume nets a spot in the 64-team field.
The Tar Heels went to work in the top of the first inning against Wolfpack starter Anthony Tillery (1-1), who was making his first start of the year after working a total of 10.1 innings in eight regular-season appearances.
After each of the first three Tar Heel batters reached base, cleanup hitter Danny Serretti followed with a base hit to drive home the first run of the game and leave the bases full for Horvath.
After taking the first pitch, Horvath lined a high drive to left field that just eluded the glove of leaping Wolfpack outfielder Jonny Butler as it hit the wall just above the yellow line and bounded back onto the playing field.
The umpiring crew initially ruled Butler had touched the ball as he attempted to make the catch, with Horvath holding at first base for an apparent long single. But Horvath was awarded a home run following video review of the play, turning his RBI-single into a grand slam and a sudden 5-0 Tar Heel lead.
UNC built an 8-0 lead through two innings, with Horvath contributing a run-scoring single and Tomas Frick an RBI double. Horvath added a fourth-inning sacrifice fly that brought home Tar Heels’ ninth.
After falling into the early hole, the Wolfpack found its bearings, chipped away and then made things truly interesting in the bottom of the eighth. With two runners aboard and one out, Austin Murr’s delivered an RBI single and Tyler McDonough followed with a run-scoring double to bring NC State within 9-6.
The Wolfpack then sent a pair of All-ACC first-teamers to the plate in the form of No. 3 hitter Butler and No. 4 hitter Terrell Tatum. But sophomore Caden O’Brien, summoned from the bullpen as the fourth UNC pitcher of the night, retired both batters on called third strikes to escape further damage.
O’Brien yielded a leadoff single to Jose Torres in the bottom of the ninth but retired the next three hitters – two by strikeouts – to pick up his third save.
Austin Love (8-4) earned the win for The Tar Heels, allowing eight hits and four earned runs while striking out nine batters in 5.2 innings.
OF NOTE
- Horvath’s grand slam was the 25th in ACC Baseball Championship history and the second of this tournament, joining Duke’s Michael Rothenberg versus Florida State on Wednesday,
- Serretti finished 4-for-5 at the plate, and Frick went 3-for-4 as they combined for seven of the Tar Heels’ 10 hits.
- NC State had 13 hits, led by a combined 6-for-9 showing from Muir and McDonough, who also drove in two runs apiece.