LSU Country

Staying Alive: LSU Defeats North Carolina 8-4 to Force Winner-Take-All on Monday

The Tigers live to see another day in Chapel Hill, face the Tar Heels in a winner-take-all showdown on Monday.

Zack Nagy

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The reigning National Champion LSU Tigers displayed poise and confidence once again in Chapel Hill in another "win or go home" game against the North Carolina Tar Heels.

The Tigers' impressive offense paired with a tremendous start from Thatcher Hurd paved the way for LSU to come out on top in an 8-4 victory over the Tar Heels in Boshamer Stadium.

LSU came out the gates hot on Sunday night, and in their second game of the day after taking down Wofford earlier in the afternoon, they showed no signs of fatigue.

It was veteran Josh Pearson doing it once again for the Tigers after blasting a two-run homer to help give LSU an early lead.

On the mound, it was Hurd who handled business after retiring the first 11 batters of the game.

It's been a rocky road for the veteran pitcher after a rollercoaster 2024 season, but when the lights were brightest, Hurd came alive when the Tigers needed him most.

He delivered a gem for LSU after tossing 5.2 innings with six strikeouts while slinging 73 pitches for the reigning National Champions.

Hurd was tested at times, but his poise is what shined brightest. He hadn't gone three full innings all season, and come the fourth inning, Hurd remained level-headed to get out of a few jams.

Once Hurd's night ended, Jay Johnson went to Justin Loer out of the bullpen first. Loer faced just one batter before Fidel Ulloa headed to the mound.

With North Carolina rallying, and the bases loaded, Ulloa rose to the challenge after striking out Gavin Gallaher to close out the inning.

The common theme on Sunday quickly became the Tigers' bats. LSU hung 13 runs on Wofford earlier in the day on 21 hits led by Pearson and a myriad of others throughout the lineup.

Against North Carolina, the bats remained scorching. LSU built up a seven-run lead before the end of the fifth inning led by patience at the plate and small ball baseball.

The Tigers fired six singles with a handful of walks to keep the Tar Heels on their toes with timely hits coming through the lineup.

LSU totaled 11 hits on the night and were relatively consistent with runners in scoring position to cap off the night.

Despite the Tigers controlling the pace for much of the game, North Carolina kept battling back and chipping away at LSU's six-run lead.

With an 8-2 lead heading into the seventh inning, the bullpen struggled at times with the Tar Heels meticulously working their way back into this one.

After a few passed balls, wild pitches and balls bouncing North Carolina's way, LSU turned to Kade Anderson to get the Tigers out of their sluggish stretch.

Anderson fired a pair of strikeouts with the Tigers then putting the ball in Gavin Guidry's hands to close things out.

Guidry handled business for the Tigers, and after two action-packed games on Sunday, LSU remains alive to see another day.

“We worked too hard to get here to let a little disappointment get in the way of what is in front of us. I’ve done it in a regional and done it in Omaha twice, so I feel good about what we have available, I really do," Jay Johnson said on Saturday.

“This is a little more than what we did in Hoover, but it’s the format. We knew that going in. Thats why we threw Gage [Friday] and Luke [Saturday], so that we didn’t have to do that. It’s my first time in four years I haven’t been sitting on 2-0, but the best wins I’ve had in my career, including Omaha last year, came in elimination games. I have full confidence in our team we will execute."

No. 2 LSU will take on No. 1 North Carolina once again on Monday evening at 5p.m. CT in Boshamer Stadium. The television schedule has not yet been released.

LSU Country will have the latest on LSU's Chapel Hill Regional Championship against the Tar Heels on Monday.

Other LSU News:

What He Said: Jay Johnson Reacts to LSU's Loss to North Carolina in Chapel Hill

The Bracket: The Updated Chapel Hill Regional Bracket, LSU Set to Face North Carolina

The Betting Odds: What are LSU's Chances of Winning the College World Series?

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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and LSU Country: @LSUCountry_FN for all coverage surrounding the LSU program.

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Zack Nagy

ZACK NAGY

Zack Nagy is the Managing Editor and Publisher of LSU Country, a Sports Illustrated Publication. Nagy has covered Tiger Football, Basketball, Baseball and Recruiting, looking to keep readers updated on anything and everything involving LSU athletics. 

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