UNC baseball's season comes to an end in 12-5 loss to Dirtbags

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The North Carolina baseball team staved it off Saturday against Florida and Mother Nature delayed it on Sunday, but their season came to an inevitable conclusion Monday at McKethan Stadium.

Following a 5-2 win over the Gators to avoid elimination in the Gainesville Regional, the Tar Heels fell to the Long Beach State Dirtbags 12-5 Monday after rainy weather suspended Sunday’s game in the seventh inning.

UNC starter Zac Gallen surrendered a two-run shot to Ino Patron after a one-out walk in the top of the inning to place the Tar Heels in a hasty 2-0 hole.

And after leadoff man Michael Russell and senior Parks Jordan were retired for two quick outs in the bottom frame, it was apparent UNC would be plagued by its inability to rebound from an early deficit — a season-long issue.

But after Landon Lassiter extended the inning with a two-out single, cleanup hitter Skye Bolt bombed a 0-1 pitch over the Dirtbags’ bullpen in right center to knot the score at 2-2. Bolt said he felt responsible to help his team erase the early deficit after Lassiter got on base.

“If you get runs against you and start off in a hole, it’s a dagger,” Bolt said. “That has been our struggle all season. You get behind and you can’t treat the game any different. You take your same approach at the plate. You get guys on, get them over and get them in. It was the best thing that could have happened.”

The back-and-forth first inning was a prelude to the next two innings, as both teams would continue to exchange blows and tie the score at 4-4 heading into the fourth, when the weather finally began to make its impact.

The rain clouds that were once in the distance settled above Perry Field and suspended play for three hours and 23 minutes.

When play resumed, neither team’s offense could capitalize on its opportunities until the sixth, when LBSU third baseman Michael Hill went yard for the first time all season and put the Dirtbags up one.

The Dirtbags would carry their one-run lead into the top of the seventh and had runners on first and second base as UNC reliever Spencer Trayner made his way out of the bullpen. But Trayner would have to wait to throw his first pitch, as the rain began to pour.

Play would eventually be suspended and the game scheduled to resume Monday afternoon. Bolt said the suspension forced the team to change its approach.

“You have to match the same intensity and the same focus, whether it was good or bad,” Bolt said. “You have to bring a whole new level of focus because it’s a new and condensed game. You don’t have nine innings.”

When play resumed Monday with the sun shining down, the Dirtbags set the tone for the final three innings of UNC’s season.

On Trayner’s first pitch, the runners at first and second took off simultaneously and slid into second and third to put both in scoring position with one out.

“We did think they might run,” said coach Mike Fox. “Usually Spencer is pretty quick to the plate. We didn’t do a good job there. We had a freshman out there, and he’s concentrating on throwing that first-pitch strike to get a double play ball. It wasn’t really a surprise, but they just executed it very well.”

With the Dirtbags looking to extend their lead, Hill dug into the batter’s box. Trayner got ahead 1-2 in the count, and on the fourth pitch of the at-bat Hill hit a slow dribbler just out of the reach of Wood Myers at second base.

Both runners scored on Hill’s single to put LBSU up 7-4, and coach Mike Fox said the play swung the momentum in favor of the Dirtbags.

“We thought we had the situation we wanted with Hill up there,” Fox said. “We got two strikes and threw a good split to him, and he just hit it in the four-hole. It’s a game of inches and if he hits it further to his right we get a double play. That whole inning changes.”

UNC would inch closer to making a comeback in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI double by freshman Tyler Ramirez that shrunk the deficit to 7-5, but the Dirtbags tallied five runs in the ninth inning off junior Benton Moss to seal UNC’s fate.

And with two down in the bottom of the ninth, the Tar Heels watched from their dugout as Ramirez lofted a pitch that plummeted into the glove of the left fielder — signaling the end of the team’s season.

The team finishes its adversity-filled season with a 35-27 record and a 13th straight appearance in the NCAA tournament. But a sour taste will remain in each player’s mouths until next year.

“It’s very disappointed how it ended today, but I think we did some good things and some bad things,” Ramirez said. “The overall outcome is disappointing.”

Contact the desk editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.