DURHAM, N.C. (theACC.com) – No. 3 seed North Carolina (41-12) scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning to defeat No. 2 seed Florida State (38-14), 7-5, in the second of two semifinal games of the 2025 ACC Baseball Championship on Saturday, May 24, in Durham, North Carolina.
 
The Tar Heels will play No. 5 seed Clemson (44-15), who won the ACC Championship last time it was in Durham in 2023, in the championship game on Sunday, May 25, at noon ET on ESPN2.
 
Eight different Tar Heels registered a hit in the win, with Kane Kepley (1-for-4, 2 RBI, run, 3 SB) and Luke Stevenson (1-for-4, HR, BB, 2 RBI, run) each driving in two RBIs. Five of the nine base hits went for extra bases – one home run and four doubles.
 
Florida State had five players account for six base hits on the night, three of which were extra-base hits, with one home run and two doubles. Myles Bailey (1-for-3, HR, 2 BB, RBI, 2 runs), Alex Lodise (1-for-5, 2B, RBI) and Cal Fisher (0-for-4, BB, RBI) each drove in an RBI in the loss.
 
The Tar Heels’ Aidan Haugh (5-4) picked up the win out of the bullpen, allowing one run on one hit, three walks and one strikeout over 3.2 innings on the mound. He handed the ball over to Walker McDuffie (6) for the ninth inning for the save.
 
Taking the loss for Florida State was Joey Volini (8-5), as the left-handed hurler gave up two runs, one of which was earned, on three hits, one walk and four strikeouts over 3.1 innings.
 
After neither team scored over the first three innings, both teams pushed across a run in the fourth frame, as UNC got a two-out RBI single from Gallaher only to see FSU tie the game back up on a solo home run to right field by Bailey to put the score at 1-1.
 
The scoring continued in the fifth inning, as North Carolina retook the lead on an RBI double off the bat of Madera and a two-out RBI single up the middle by French to push the Tar Heels back in front at 3-1.

However, the lead did not last for long, as Florida State quickly answered in the bottom half of the inning, taking advantage of a bases-loaded walk and an errant throw by the UNC second baseman on a double play attempt to plate two more runs and retake the lead at 4-3 heading into the sixth inning.
 
The back-and-forth contest continued in the sixth, as Stevenson followed a Van De Brake ground-rule double with a two-run home run to right field to give the Tar Heels back the lead, this time at 5-4.
 
Florida State refused to give in and took advantage of a one-out walk and a wild pitch to tie the game up at 5-5 on a two-out double to left-center field by Lodise.
 
That is where the score would remain as the game rolled into the ninth inning, when an FSU fielding error, a bunt single and a sacrifice bunt put the go-ahead runs on second and third base with one out. Kepley came through with a two-run single to center field to put the visitors in blue in front at 7-5 midway through the ninth inning.
 
The Tar Heels’ McDuffie entered the game to pitch around a two-out walk to seal the win and send North Carolina to the title game for the first time since 2022, when the Tar Heels won the championship at Truist Field in Charlotte, North Carolina.
 
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. 5 Clemson 9, No. 1 Georgia Tech 4
Game 14 – No. 3 North Carolina 7, No. 2 Florida State 5
 
Sunday, May 25 - Championship Game
Game 15 – No. 5 Clemson vs. No. 3 North Carolina, Noon, ESPN2
 
All times Eastern