Montgomery shuts down UNC to force elimination game

South Carolina coach Chad Holbrook said he’s seen too much North Carolina baseball this year to be comfortable with any kind of lead against the Tar Heels — even up 8-0 as his team was Sunday.

That’s not an irrational fear. In the past couple of weeks, the Tar Heels have clawed back to beat Clemson in 14 innings, staved off N.C. State for 18 more innings the next night, and they overcame a grand slam and a three-run home run in a 13-inning bout against Florida Atlantic.

Even in Saturday’s 6-5 Super Regional win against South Carolina, the Tar Heels managed to cobble together a ninth-inning rally to put away the Gamecocks.

But on Sunday with left-hander Jordan Montgomery on the mound — and just one UNC win away from a trip to the College World Series — Holbrook’s discomfort ultimately proved unjustified.

The Tar Heels were powerless. For the first time in 76 games this season, UNC (56-10) couldn’t muster a single run, losing 8-0 to the Gamecocks to set up an elimination game Monday.

It was UNC’s most lopsided loss this year.

“Obviously, the key to the game was Montgomery,” UNC coach Mike Fox said. “He was sensational for them from the first pitch to the very last one … We couldn’t get anything going.”

Montgomery was nearly flawless — unflappable with his team facing an early end to its season.

He allowed just four hits, walked just one batter and pitched around three errors by his defense behind him for a complete-game shutout. It was the first shutout of Montgomery’s season, the first of UNC’s season and the first for South Carolina in the NCAA tournament since 2003.

Though just a sophomore, Montgomery has excelled in high-stakes games throughout his career, now allowing just two earned runs in 30.2 innings across four NCAA tournament starts.

“The elimination game kind of gave me a little more incentive to do good,” said Montgomery, whose game plan was to attack UNC hitters inside with his fastball.

“I didn’t want our seniors to go out that way, so I just wanted to get a win and try to get them back to Omaha.”

On UNC’s end, pitching was anything but flawless. For the second straight game, a UNC starter delivered his shortest start of the season. After ace Kent Emanuel lasted just 2.1 innings and allowed four runs Saturday, starter Hobbs Johnson yielded five runs on five hits in 1.2 innings.

All five of those runs came in the second inning as Gamecock three-hole hitter Joey Pankake smacked a two-run double just fair down the left-field line and cleanup hitter L.B. Dantlzer followed up with another two-run double to right.

“It was frustrating,” Johnson said. “That’s probably the hardest I’ve been hit in my career, and it just goes to them being a good-hitting team. They make you pay when you leave the ball up. That’s for sure.”

Unlike Saturday, UNC’s offense couldn’t strike back, and the bullpen couldn’t stop the damage.

Right-handers Reilly Hovis and Taylore Cherry gave up one and two runs, respectively, in the middle innings, and the entire UNC staff walked nine and allowed five stolen bases to a relentless Gamecock offense.

Fox said the only positive from the situation was being able to stay away from closer Trent Thornton and UNC’s other late-inning relievers, who will be available Monday in relief of starter Benton Moss.

As for the UNC offense, the Tar Heels reached base just five times on their own merit — three more times with the help of South Carolina errors.

They simply couldn’t capitalize on those opportunities.

“Usually when you make three errors against a team like North Carolina, they are going to make you pay,” Holbrook said. “But Jordan was just too good today. He was terrific … That’s a start and an outing that he will never forget.”

And it’s a start that puts the Tar Heels in yet another hole as they will battle for their playoff lives Monday.

For Fox’s players, though, that’s nothing new.

“If I have to say a whole lot, then they’re missing the picture here,” Fox said. “We knew this wasn’t going to be easy. Our last two or three weeks hasn’t been easy.

“They don’t like to lose. They take it personal.”