The No. 16 North Carolina baseball team dropped a low-scoring game, 2-0, to the Liberty Flames in Lynchburg, Va. on Tuesday.
What happened?
On a day dominated by pitching, it was the Tar Heels (16-6, 2-4) who looked to have the early edge. They notched five hits in the first three innings, including three in the third inning alone. But with the bases loaded and one out, Ike Freeman grounded into a double play, and the Flames escaped unscathed.
Liberty (15-5) had similar batting struggles, going hitless through the first four frames as first-year starter Will Sandy mowed through the first three innings, and reliever Connor Ollio picked up where Sandy left off in the fourth.
Disaster struck in the fifth inning for the Tar Heels. Ollio gave up a single to Liberty’s Jaylen Guy, the Flames' first hit of the game. After Guy advanced to second with a stolen base, Ollio faced junior Jonathan Embry with one on and two outs. Embry launched the ball over the right field fence, giving Liberty a 2-0 lead with his second long ball of the year.
The rest of the game saw only two hits (both from UNC), with neither team able to manufacture runs.
North Carolina stranded runners on the corners in the eighth inning, and fared no better in the ninth.
After a Brandon Martorano strikeout, Clemente Inclan doubled with one out in the ninth. Danny Serretti moved him to third with a ground ball to first, but Earl Semper struck out swinging, and the Flames held on for the win.
Who stood out?