The North Carolina Tar Heels’ pitching staff locked down a loaded LSU lineup on Saturday evening.
A day after allowing the LIU Sharks to score eight runs, including five in the final two innings, UNC pitchers held the defending champion Tigers to just two runs – both on bases-loaded walks.
Simply put – to advance and host its first Super Regional in two years, the Diamond Heels would have to excel on the mound. Starting pitching has been up-and-down all year, but the like of Matthew Matthijs and Dalton Pence give the North Carolina bullpen two reliable arms.
Starting pitching doomed UNC early on Saturday night, proving too much to later overcome in an 8-4 loss to LSU.
Even with shaky pitching, the Diamond Heels nearly came back in the ninth inning. They loaded the bases with one out, thanks to shaky pitching from Gavin Guidry, but he struck out Luke Stevenson and got Friday night hero Gavin Gallagher to fly out and send the Chapel Hill Regional to a decisive game Monday.
Aidan Haugh, typically the Diamond Heels’ third starter in their rotation, took the loss by giving up four runs – on five hits – through just three innings. John Pearson, the Tigers’ starting left fielder, drove in their first two runs on a first-inning home run.
Kyle Percival, who entered the game with a 1.61 earned run average, walked both batters he faced before North Carolina head coach Scott Forbes pulled him. Connor Bovair entered Saturday night with a 3.38 ERA, but gave up two runs on five hite in 2 2/3 innings.
UNC enjoyed a decent hitting night at the plate, threatening in the third, seventh, eighth and ninth innings, but left several runners in scoring position. Anthony Donofrio was the Diamond Heels’ best hitter, mashing 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
North Carolina will try to advance again on Monday, June 3, when it battles LSU – at 6 p.m. ET – in a winner-take-all game for a spot in the Super Regionals.
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