Pack falls to Heels in final
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – NC State (36-21) was unable to overcome an early deficit and dropped a 9-5 loss to North Carolina (38-19) in the Atlantic Coast Conference Baseball Championship game on Sunday afternoon at Truist Field.
For their efforts during the week, Devonte Brown, LuJames Groover III and Tommy White were named to the ACC Championship All-Tournament Team.
Despite the Wolfpack scoring first, the Tar Heels erupted for a combined eight runs in the first two innings and managed to hold their lead until the final out.
The Pack struck early with a run in the first. Brown led off with his 11th double of the season, and then after White drew a one-out walk Josh Hood came through with the RBI single through the left side.
North Carolina responded in the bottom frame when Vance Honeycutt blasted a two-run home run to left field, giving the Tar Heels the narrow 2-1 advantage through one complete.
The Heels added six runs on five hits and an error to take an 8-1 lead in the second inning. A Wolfpack miscue, base hit and hit-by-pitch loaded the bases to start the frame, and then a 2-RBI single by Angel Zarate followed by an RBI double by Danny Serretti and three-run home run from Honeycutt plated the runs.
North Carolina plated its final run in the fourth as Mac Horvath crossed home plate on a wild pitch after drawing a leadoff walk and moving to third on Serretti's single through the right side.
In the sixth, J.T. Jarrett reduced North Carolina's lead with a two-RBI double down the left field line after Groover and White started the inning with back-to-back base hits.
The Pack started to battle back in the final frame with two outs when Brown hit an RBI double off the center field wall, scoring pinch hitter Chase Nixon after he reached on a two-base error to start the rally. Groover then singled up the middle to allow Brown to score and make it 9-5, but North Carolina was able to induce a force out at second to end the game.
Chris Villaman entered the game in the fourth inning and kept the Heels at bay as he faced 15 batters and sat all 15 batters down, highlighted by eight strikeouts. Dating back to last year's ACC Championship game, Villaman has tossed 9.1 hitless innings in title games.
Both Brown and Groover III finished 3-for-5 at the plate with an RBI with Brown adding two doubles and two runs to his stat line.
NC State will now await its fate for the NCAA Tournament. The host sites will be announced later this evening at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN bottom lines, and the selection show will be Monday, May 30 at 12 p.m. on ESPN2.
Story provided by Go