Duke baseball’s Saturday game against No. 5 North Carolina will be for all the marbles.
After a 5-3 victory on Thursday during the series opener, the Blue Devils lost 6-4 on Friday to even the series.
Second baseman Zac Morris launched a three-run homer in the bottom of the third to give Duke an early lead. The advantage held until the top of the fifth when Blue Devils reliever Owen Proksch entered the game. He let four of his first six opponents reach base safely with three of them coming around to give the Tar Heels a 4-3 lead.
Logan Bravo mashed a solo shot in the following inning to tie the game again, but Duke closer Charlie Beilenson suffered from a rare off night to cough up the game.
UNC’s Vance Honeycutt led the inning off with a single before an error on the ensuing bunt gave the Tar Heels two in scoring position. A sacrifice fly and a double in the next two at-bats gave North Carolina all the runs it needed.
The Saturday tiebreaker game is set for noon at Jack Coombs Field, and the outcome could dramatically change Duke’s postseason plans. After being dropped as a projected regional host this week, a victory over the Tar Heels might be the last chance to host anybody in Durham.