UNC baseball’s comeback falls just short, while ECU romps in NCAA Tournament regionals

The University of North Carolina baseball team fell behind early Friday, and by the time the Tar Heels found their offense, the deficit was too great to overcome.

Iowa batters manufactured a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and survived a Tar Heels’ rally in the ninth to post a 5-4 win over UNC in the teams’ first game of the NCAA Tournament’s Terre Haute regional.

UNC nearly pulled off another come-from-behind win, plating three runs in the top of the ninth to cut a four-run Iowa lead to just one, but Hawkeyes reliever Luke Llewellyn struck out the always-dangerous Tomas Frick looking and Hunter Stokely swinging with runners on second and third to end the game.

The loss pushes the Tar Heels to the brink of elimination. They’ll face Wright State at noon Saturday in a win-or-go-home elimination game. Iowa will face host Indiana State in the winners’ bracket game at 6 p.m.

Iowa second-baseman Sam Hojnar laced a double down the left-field line in the bottom of the first inning to plate two runs, and the Hawkeyes added another in the third and appeared to be coasting from there on the arms of Marcus Morgan and Jack Whitlock, who combined to allow just the one run on four hits, scattering five walks across eight innings with seven total strikeouts, keeping UNC off the board when it mattered most.

Even when the Heels appeared to be getting something going, plating their one run in the top of the fourth, Morgan shut the door, stranding three runners on when he induced a Casey Cook groundout.

Frick, the Tar Heels’ hot bat at the ACC Tournament, continued his strong postseason, accounting for his team’s lone run before the ninth after ripping a double to left in the fourth and scoring on an Alberto Osuna sacrifice fly.

Iowa tacked on what appeared to be harmless runs in the bottom of the eighth to stretch its lead to 5-1. The Hawkeyes then turned to Will Chrostophers on the mound, which seemed to please the UNC hitters. Johnny Castagnozzi led off the Tar Heels’ half of the ninth with a walk, and then trotted home on an Alberto Osuna home run.

Colby Wilkerson followed with a single, Casey Cook replaced Wilkerson at first with a fielder’s choice, and Bo Horvath walked to put the tying run at first.

Iowa then turned to Llewellyn, who gave up a double to Jackson Van De Brake on a 1-2 pitch. Because the ball hung up just enough, only one run scored on the play, leaving two runners in scoring position with just one out.

But Llewellyn set down the final two hitters to end the game.

Patrick Alvarez had a pair of hits for the Heels, as well, and Hunter Stokely added one.

Jake Knapp took the loss on the mound. The junior right-hander allowed three runs on six hits and three walks while striking out five.

Kevin Eaise pitched well in relief, allowing just one hit over 3 2/3 innings, giving the Tar Heels a chance to come back.

ECU outslugs Oklahoma

In Charlottesville, where earlier Friday Virginia slammed Army to win its opener, East Carolina followed suit against Oklahoma.

Justin Wilcoxen drilled a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning and Carter Cunningham plated two more with a double in the bottom of the fifth as part of a string of four consecutive multiple-run innings as the Pirates pulled away from the Sooners to post a 14-5 win, advancing to the winners’ bracket game against the Cavaliers on Saturday at 6 p.m.

Oklahoma will battle Army at noon in an elimination game.

ECU started the scoring in the bottom of the second, and scored at least one run in each subsequent inning.

With one out, Joey Berini struck a single to left. Consecutive walks to Alec Makarewicz and Lane Hoover loaded the bases. A third consecutive walk, this one to Jacob Starling, plated Berini, and a Cunningham sacrifice fly to left plated Makarewicz.

The Pirates added another pair in the third. Cam Clonch scored on a Berini single, and then Jacob Jenkins-Cowart scampered home on a fielding error on a sharp grounder by Hoover to the shortstop. That fourth run forced the Sooners into a pitching change, with Carter Campbell replacing Braden Carmichael.

ECU tacked on three more in the fourth, including Wilcoxen’s bomb, and another three in the fifth around Cunningham’s double.

The Sooners finally found a touch of offense in the sixth and seventh innings, and again in the ninth, scoring five times, but never got close enough to be a bother. ECU added a run in the sixth, two more in the seventh and one more in the eighth to put the game away.

Berini finished with four hits, Hoover with three. Cunningham had two hits, two runs scored and three RBI.

Four ECU pitchers combined to allow three runs on seven hits and just two walks with 10 strikeouts, led by starter Trey Yesavage, who went 5 1/3 innings and faced 24 batters to earn the win.