Re: UNC-VCU
Recap from UNC:
CHAPEL HILL --- Brian Miller scored from third on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth as No. 11 North Carolina beat visiting VCU 6-5 Wednesday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium. VCU scored three times in the top of the ninth before the Tar Heels loaded the bases against Sean Thompson ahead the wild pitch. Freshman left-hander Nick Raquet stranded two Rams in the ninth to pick up his first career win in relief.
Landon Lassiter and Alex Raburn had two hits each for Carolina (8-3), which picked up its second win of the week ahead of the ACC opener against Duke on Friday. Korey Dunbar drove in two in a 3-run second inning to give the Tar Heels a lead they would hold until the ninth.
After starter Brett Daniels was lifted with two on and none out in the third, fellow freshman Hansen Butler got Vimael Machin to ground into a double play to limit the damage. Butler went 3.0 shutout innings before handing the ball to A.J. Bogucki to start the sixth. The sophomore righty pitched into the eighth, and UNC looked poised to cruise to victory after added a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the inning.
Trent Thornton got two quick outs to start the VCU ninth, before the Rams (3-6) rallied to tie it. After back-to-back walks, James Bunn doubled to left center to make it 5-4. Spencer Trayner relieved Thornton, but he gave up a double to Cooper Mickelson to tie it and push the go-ahead run to third.
Raquet, the eighth Carolina pitcher of the night, entered to face Shane Dressler and quickly fell behind 3-0. But the Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, lefty got Dressler to ground to first two pitches later to end the inning.
Zack Gahagan started the game-winning rally with a four-pitch walk and advanced to second on Dunbar's sacrifice bunt. Miller replaced Gahagan and moved to third on a Lassiter hit before Thompson intentionally walked Wood Myers to load the bases for Skye Bolt. But Bolt didn't have to take the bat off his shoulder, as Thompson missed wide of his catcher Ryan Coale to allow Miller to score from third to end it.
Myers singled to lead off the eighth to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.
Carolina returns to action Friday at 3 p.m. when the Tar Heels host rival Duke in the ACC opener for both teams.
This post was edited on 3/4 10:23 PM by JohnGwaltney