North Carolina baseball advances to Pool Play with win against Virginia Tech

The crowd at Durham Bulls Athletic Park exploded. Through wind and rain, this is what they had waited to see. 

But senior Trevor Kelley didn’t even crack a smile. He knew the game was far from over. 

With only one out and a runner on third base in the top of the eighth inning, Kelley knew he needed nothing short of two strikeouts to keep Virginia Tech from tying what was then a 4-3 game. 

“Early in the game, you can go for ground outs,” Kelley said. “Later in the game, you’re looking for that strikeout.”

Kelley did just that, fanning two Hokies when his team needed it most. He would finish the game with five strikeouts down the stretch as he led the Tar Heels to a 5-3 win to keep them in the ACC Tournament. 

North Carolina needed a victory in the play-in game against Virginia Tech for more than one reason. Having finished their season with losses in six out of their final seven games, the Tar Heels could have needed this win to earn themselves an NCAA bid. 

But the players were ready.

“Showing up today, you could just tell there was a different look in everyone’s eyes,” sophomore Zac Gallen said. “They knew what was at stake today.” 

UNC has struggled lately, most recently against Virginia, where the Cavaliers swept their three-game series against the Tar Heels. UNC only managed five runs throughout the entire Virginia series — a number the team matched in eight innings of baseball Tuesday. 

The key for Coach Mike Fox was less about skill and more about effort. He said he wanted his team to play hard and to respond the right way after a tough finish to the regular season. 

Tough competition is a part of ACC play, and Fox made sure his players knew that wouldn’t be an excuse coming into this game.

“I just challenged my team,” Fox said. “They’re at the University of North Carolina, and they’re in a great league. (This is) what they signed up for.”

Fox’s team responded to his challenge with sound pitching down the stretch and offensive plays on the other side of the ball.

Most of the Tar Heel offense came at the bottom of the fourth inning. After a dropped fly ball in center field, UNC took advantage and finished the inning with three runs.

For the North Carolina pitchers, seeing their offense score in bunches on offense helped them to perform.

“When the runs start pushing across the board, as a pitcher you definitely feel that weight come off your shoulders,” Gallen said.

But despite a solid effort from UNC, Virginia Tech stayed close and put the pressure on Kelley once more late in the game. The team’s tournament future came down to the ninth inning, where Kelley showed everyone his competitive spirit.

Kelley needed just 17 pitches to send his team forward into the tournament. With two strikeouts and a ground out to finish the game, Kelley left his mark late. 

“I’m a senior, so time is ticking,” Kelley said. “I’m not going to go out easy.

“That’s for sure.”