DURHAM, N.C. (theACC.com) – No. 3 seed North Carolina (40-12) scored late to come from behind and defeat No. 14 seed Boston College (28-29), 7-2, in the second of two quarterfinal games of the 2025 ACC Baseball Championship on Friday, May 23, in Durham, North Carolina.
 
The Tar Heels will play No. 2 seed Florida State (38-13) in the second of two semifinal games on Saturday, May 24, at 5 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
 
The ACC Pitcher of the Year, Jake Knapp (12-0), picked up the win, holding Boston College to just two runs on five hits and four strikeouts over 7.0 innings in the quality start. The save went to Walker McDuffie (5), who fired 2.0 scoreless innings to seal the win for the Tar Heels.
 
The Eagles started A.J. Colarusso, as the left-hander was lights out, allowing just one run on five hits, four walks and nine strikeouts over 6.0 innings. For the tournament, Colarusso threw 237 pitches over 13.0 innings. He allowed just five runs on 15 hits and struck out 15 batters over three games.
 
BC’s JD Ogden (4-3) suffered the loss, giving up two runs on two walks in the seventh inning.
 
The Tar Heels recorded nine base hits at the plate, three of which were extra-base hits, but also drew seven walks and took advantage of a BC fielding error to post seven runs in the win.
 
The top three hitters in the UNC lineup - Kane Kepley (1-for-4, BB, run), Jackson Van De Brake (2-for-2, 2B, 3 BB, 2 RBI, 2 runs, SB) and Luke Stevenson (2-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, 2 runs) combined for five of the nine hits and five of the seven runs and drove in five of the six RBIs.
 
The Eagles’ offense, which was looking to record its third upset win of the week, was held to just two runs on five hits and did not draw a walk. Lead-off hitter Josiah Ragsdale (2-for-4, run) had two of the five base hits, while the next two hitters in the lineup in Patrick Roche (1-for-3, 2B, HBP, RBI, run) and Jack Toomey (1-for-4, RBI), each had one hit and one RBI in the loss.
 
In what was a pitching duel between the two starters, the Eagles got on the scoreboard in the top of the third on a Ragsdale two-out single, a Roche RBI double and a Toomey RBI single to take an early 2-0 lead.
 
North Carolina broke through in the bottom of the seventh, as the Tar Heels got to the BC bullpen, leading off the inning with three walks. Van De Brake then doubled down the right-field line to score two and tie the game up.
 
That got the offense going, as a wild pitch scored another Tar Heel from third, which was followed by a Stevenson RBI single through the right side to push the lead to 4-2.
 
Five batters later, after an error kept the inning alive, Luke Sowers had a pinch-hit single to drive in one more Tar Heel to put the score at 5-2 with just two innings to play.
 
While UNC’s McDuffie struck out the side in the top of the eighth, Stevenson added some insurance for the home team with a two-run home run to center field in the bottom half of the inning, putting the score at 7-2.
 
2025 ACC Baseball Championship Schedule
Tuesday, May 20
Game 1 – No. 16 California 12, No. 9 Miami 2 (8 innings)
Game 2 – No. 12 Virginia Tech 7, No. 13 Stanford 4
Game 3 – No. 15 Pitt 13, No. 10 Louisville 11
Game 4 – No. 14 Boston College 5, No. 11 Notre Dame 4 (10 innings)
 
Wednesday, May 21
Game 5 – No. 16 California 14, No. 8 Wake Forest 12
Game 6 – No. 5 Clemson 6, No. 12 Virginia Tech 1
Game 7 – No. 7 Duke 4, No. 15 Pitt 3
Game 8 – No. 14 Boston College 12, No. 6 Virginia 8
 
Thursday, May 22
Game 9 – No. 1 Georgia Tech 10, No. 16 California 3
Game 10 – No. 5 Clemson 7, No. 4 NC State 6 
 
Friday, May 23
Game 11 – No. 2 Florida State 14, No. 7 Duke 7
Game 12 – No. 3 North Carolina 7, No. 14 Boston College 2
 
Saturday, May 24
Game 13 – No. 1 Georgia Tech vs. No. 5 Clemson, 1 p.m.
Game 14 – No. 2 Florida State vs. No. 3 North Carolina, 5 p.m.
 
Sunday, May 25 - Championship Game
Game 15 – Saturday Winners, Noon, ESPN2
 
All Tuesday through Saturday games air on ACC Network
All times Eastern