BY: UNC ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
PITTSBURGH --- Eric Hess singled home Ron Sherman in the bottom of the 10th to give Pitt a 3-2 win over No. 11 North Carolina Sunday afternoon at Cost Field. Carolina rallied to tie it in the ninth but Hess' single to right center won it for the Panthers, who improved to 8-9 and 3-3 in the ACC. The Tar Heels fell to 12-7 and 3-3 in the league despite a good spot start from Trent Thornton and two hits apiece from Brian Miller and Elijah Sutherland.
Pitt opened the scoring with an unearned run in the third. After a leadoff walk, Manny Pazos reached on an error and Caleb Wright walked to loaded the bases with one out. Thornton then walked Charles LeBlanc to force in a run, but Landon Lassiter's one-hop throw home to retire Pazos tagging from third limited the damage.
Carolina tied it in the seventh off Pitt starter Marc Berube, but the Panthers regained the lead in the eighth. It was Lassiter who drove home Sutherland with two out in the seventh before a Sherman sac fly off Trevor Kelley put Pitt back in front.
It stayed 2-1 until the ninth, when Miller led off with a single against closer Matt Pidich. After an Alex Raburn sacrifice, Pidich walked Sutherland, the fourth time the junior second baseman had reached on the afternoon. A wild pitch and an intentional walk to Adam Pate loaded the bases for Lassiter, who drove a sac fly to deep right center to plate Miller and tie the score at 2.
Miller was in the middle of the action again in the 10th when it appeared the Tar Heels had taken the lead. Logan Warmoth reached on a two-out single and stole second before Miller grounded to second. Pitt's Jordan Frabasilio double clutched and Miller looked to have beaten the throw, but the freshman DH was called out to end the inning.
Pitt got the winner in the 10th off Spencer Trayner (1-2). Sherman reached on a one-out bloop single and took second on a passed ball before Trayner struck out Wright and intentionally walked LeBlanc. That set the stage for Hess, a senior who was hitting .113 on the year and entered the game as a defensive repalcement in the ninth. His flare was just beyond the reach of Sutherland at second and scored Sherman to give the Panthers their first ACC series win of the year.
Thornton allowed just one unearned run in five innings of work before Jason Morgan took over in the sixth. Kelley worked another 2.2 scoreless frames, making his eighth consecutive appearances. Lassiter drove in both UNC runs and was hit by two Berube pitches.
Carolina will return to action at Boshamer Stadium Tuesday afternoon at 3 when in-state foe Davidson comes to Chapel Hill.
PITTSBURGH --- Eric Hess singled home Ron Sherman in the bottom of the 10th to give Pitt a 3-2 win over No. 11 North Carolina Sunday afternoon at Cost Field. Carolina rallied to tie it in the ninth but Hess' single to right center won it for the Panthers, who improved to 8-9 and 3-3 in the ACC. The Tar Heels fell to 12-7 and 3-3 in the league despite a good spot start from Trent Thornton and two hits apiece from Brian Miller and Elijah Sutherland.
Pitt opened the scoring with an unearned run in the third. After a leadoff walk, Manny Pazos reached on an error and Caleb Wright walked to loaded the bases with one out. Thornton then walked Charles LeBlanc to force in a run, but Landon Lassiter's one-hop throw home to retire Pazos tagging from third limited the damage.
Carolina tied it in the seventh off Pitt starter Marc Berube, but the Panthers regained the lead in the eighth. It was Lassiter who drove home Sutherland with two out in the seventh before a Sherman sac fly off Trevor Kelley put Pitt back in front.
It stayed 2-1 until the ninth, when Miller led off with a single against closer Matt Pidich. After an Alex Raburn sacrifice, Pidich walked Sutherland, the fourth time the junior second baseman had reached on the afternoon. A wild pitch and an intentional walk to Adam Pate loaded the bases for Lassiter, who drove a sac fly to deep right center to plate Miller and tie the score at 2.
Miller was in the middle of the action again in the 10th when it appeared the Tar Heels had taken the lead. Logan Warmoth reached on a two-out single and stole second before Miller grounded to second. Pitt's Jordan Frabasilio double clutched and Miller looked to have beaten the throw, but the freshman DH was called out to end the inning.
Pitt got the winner in the 10th off Spencer Trayner (1-2). Sherman reached on a one-out bloop single and took second on a passed ball before Trayner struck out Wright and intentionally walked LeBlanc. That set the stage for Hess, a senior who was hitting .113 on the year and entered the game as a defensive repalcement in the ninth. His flare was just beyond the reach of Sutherland at second and scored Sherman to give the Panthers their first ACC series win of the year.
Thornton allowed just one unearned run in five innings of work before Jason Morgan took over in the sixth. Kelley worked another 2.2 scoreless frames, making his eighth consecutive appearances. Lassiter drove in both UNC runs and was hit by two Berube pitches.
Carolina will return to action at Boshamer Stadium Tuesday afternoon at 3 when in-state foe Davidson comes to Chapel Hill.
