By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — Two years after winning a deciding Monday game to win a Chapel Hill Regional, No. 6 North Carolina will have to do it again to extend its season.
This time, though, it’s against reigning national champion LSU, which twice staved off elimination on Sunday, forcing the deciding game with an 8–4 victory over No. 1 regional seed UNC in a packed Boshamer Stadium.
The deciding game, with the Chapel Hill Regional title and a Super Regionals berth on the line, will be at The Bosh at 6 p.m. Monday (ESPN2).
The Tar Heels, the visiting team in the game, brought the tying run to the plate with one out in the ninth inning. But Luke Stevenson struck out, and Gavin Gallaher flied out to end the game.
“Gavin, right there at the end, had a really good swing,” said Forbes, whose team fell behind 8–1 after five innings. “Just barely under it. That’s what makes baseball what it is. So, really the message is to do what you’ve done all season and be aggressive; play aggressive and go after it. Really proud of our team to get behind, keep fighting, get the tying run to the plate. Not surprising with this team.
UNC (44–14) got key hits from Parks Harber (2 for 4 with two runs) and Anthony Donofrio (3 for 4 with three RBI), along with some amazing defensive plays from Gallaher at third base. But the Heels didn’t get enough pitching with a chance to put away the regional title and let golden scoring chances slip away.
“We were disappointed we lost for about 10 seconds,” Harber said, “and then we flipped the switch and realized that we have an awesome opportunity tomorrow at 6 with a home crowd. So we’re always pumped up and ready to go.”
LSU (43–22) earned a spot in the Sunday night’s game by beating Wofford earlier on Sunday 13–6 in an elimination game, and kept that momentum against the Tar Heels.
“LSU is a powerful team. You make mistakes, they make you pay,’ Forbes said, adding that walking five against only three strikeouts isn’t “a good recipe for a win. We just didn’t make enough good, quality pitches.”
One of the biggest challenges of playing a fourth regional game is figuring out a pitching plan. Sophomore right-hander Cameron Padgett might have been a candidate to start Monday, but he pitched 2⅓ shutout innings, giving up only one hit, to finish the game.
When asked if he thought about saving Padgett for Monday, Forbes said he “had a plan.” And it would have worked if UNC had taken advantage of big late scoring chances.
Where does that leave UNC’s pitching situation?
“With all of our horses ready to go,” Forbes said.
Neither Forbes nor LSU coach Jay Johnson would say who their starter will be. It will be the Tigers’ fifth game, so the pitching challenges might be greater for them.
In 2002, when UNC last played in a deciding Monday regional game after emerging from the loser’s bracket, Brandon Shaeffer started on one day of rest. He had gone 5⅓ innings and thrown 79 pitches in a 4–3 loss to VCU two days earlier. Shaeffer didn’t get the win at Boshamer Stadium, but he threw 58 pitches in 3⅔ innings of a 7–3 victory over VCU to win the regional.
Forbes wouldn’t say if he’d consider something similar this time. If he did, freshman right-hander Jason DeCaro, who threw 65 pitches and four innings in Friday’s 11–8 victory over Long Island, might be a candidate to start. After that, nearly all of the other pitches will be ready.
UNC starter Aidan Haugh had pitched only ⅔ of an inning nine days earlier in his only action since his last start at Duke on May 18. He gave up five hits, two walks and three runs with two strikeouts before exiting after a leadoff single in the fourth inning.
Forbes said he didn’t think Haugh was rusty, pointing out that his fastball was in the mid-90s.
“We had a plan,” Forbes said. “Obviously, we were hoping that Aidan would give us a little bit more length. But he competed his tail off. I have nothing negative to say at all about our team.”
LSU left fielder Josh Pearson lofted the first pitch he saw from Haugh 376 feet for a two-out first-inning homer over the right-center field wall. Shortstop Michael Braswell III’s single in front of right fielder Donofrio with two outs in the third made it 3–0.
Tigers starter Thatcher Hurd (winner, 3–4) came into the game with a 7.04 ERA but was dominant, giving up six hits, two runs and no walks while striking out six in 5⅔ innings.
“He could do whatever he wanted,” Forbes said of Hurd. “He was feeling it, and he was really good. He had pitches going; he had good velocity. He was ahead in counts. So, really, he looked like a Friday night start early on for sure.”
Hurd retired the first 11 batters before Harber doubled down the right-field line with two outs in the fourth and scored on Donofrio’s single to right field.
Kyle Percival threw nine pitches and one strike for two walks in relief of Haugh before leaving with the bases loaded. Connor Bovair (2⅔ innings, five hits, two runs) came on and gave up back-to-back RBI singles. Another run came in on a double play, and a 398-foot solo homer to left field by designated hitter Hayden Travinski in the fifth inning made it 8–1.
Harber generated another run in the sixth inning when he came home on a wild pitch after a two-out double to right. Hurd exited after giving up consecutive singles to Donofrio and Alberto Osuna, then reliever Justin Loer walked the only batter he faced. Fidel Ulloa struck out Gallaher on a 3–2 pitch to leave the bases loaded.
UNC took advantage of another bases-loaded situation in the seventh. Donofrio banged a two-run single off the third-base bag to trim the deficit to 8–4.
NOTES — The winner of Monday’s game will host West Virginia (36–22) in the Super Regionals. The Mountaineers won the Tucson Regional as the No. 3 seed. … It as only UNC’s third loss in 37 home games this season. … Carolina left 12 runners on base and was 2 of 10 with runners in scoring position. … UNC was the visiting team and will also be the visiting team for Monday’s game. LSU was the home team Sunday because it had only been the home team once in the regional while UNC had been a home team twice. LSU won a coin flip to be the home team on Monday. … The Tar Heels are 4–3 all-time against LSU. … The Tigers have won 10 of their last 12 games. … The attendance was 4,098.
No. 24 LSU 8, No. 6 UNC 4
Chapel Hill Regional
At Boshamer Stadium
Friday’s results
No. 2 LSU 4, No. 3 Wofford 3
No. 1 North Carolina 11, No. 4 Long Island 8
Saturday’s results
No. 3 Wofford 5, No. 4 Long Island 2; Long Island eliminated
No. 1 North Carolina 6, No. 2 LSU 2
Sunday’s results
No. 2 LSU 13, No. 3 Wofford 6; Wofford eliminated
No. 2 LSU 8, No. 1 North Carolina 4
Monday’s result
No. 1 North Carolina 4, No. 2 LSU 3, 10 innings; UNC wins regional
UNC results
| Date | Day/ month | Score | Opponent/event (final ranks) | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February | ||||
| 16 | Friday | W, 10–3 | vs. Wagner | 1–0 |
| 17 | Saturday | W, 16–5 | vs. Wagner | 2–0 |
| 18 | Sunday | W, 20–6 | vs. Wagner | 3–0 |
| 20 | Tuesday | W, 8–7 | vs. Elon | 4–0 |
| 23 | Friday | W, 2–1 | vs. No. 20 East Carolina | 5–0 |
| 24 | Saturday | L, 7–4 | vs. No. 20 East Carolina in Fayetteville | 5–1 |
| 25 | Sunday | L, 10–9 | at No. 20 East Carolina | 5–2 |
| 27 | Tuesday | W, 8–2 | vs. VCU | 6–2 |
| 28 | Wednesday | W, 12–3 | vs. Longwood | 7–2 |
| March | ||||
| 1 | Friday | W, 12–2 | vs. Princeton | 8–2 |
| 2 | Saturday | W, 11–2 | vs. Princeton | 9–2 |
| 3 | Sunday | W, 13–6 | vs. Princeton | 10–2 |
| 5 | Tuesday | W, 7–3 | at Campbell | 11–2 |
| 8 | Friday | W, 2–1 | vs. Pittsburgh | 12–2, 1–0 ACC |
| 9 | Saturday | W, 7–3 | vs. Pittsburgh | 13–2, 2–0 ACC |
| 10 | Sunday | W, 6–5, 10 innings | vs. Pittsburgh | 14–2, 3–0 ACC |
| 12 | Tuesday | W, 13–7 | vs. Rutgers | 15–2 |
| 13 | Wednesday | W, 9–8 | vs. Rutgers | 16–2 |
| 15 | Friday | L, 14–1 | at Miami | 16–3, 3–1 ACC |
| 16 | Saturday | L, 2–1 | at Miami | 16–4, 3–2 ACC |
| 17 | Sunday | W, 18–6, 7 innings (10-run rule) | at Miami | 17–4, 4–2 ACC |
| 19 | Tuesday | W, 11–0, 7 innings (10-run rule) | vs. UNCW | 18–4 |
| 22 | Friday | W, 5–4 | vs. Georgia Tech | 19–4, 5–2 ACC |
| 23 | Saturday | W, 11–5 | vs. Georgia Tech | 20–4, 6–2 ACC |
| 24 | Sunday | W, 9–2 | vs. Georgia Tech | 21–4, 7–2 ACC |
| 26 | Tuesday | W, 10–8 | vs. N.C. A&T | 22–4 |
| 29 | Friday | W, 6–5 | at Wake Forest | 23–4, 8–2 ACC |
| 30 | Saturday | W, 10–6 | at Wake Forest | 24–4, 9–2 ACC |
| 31 | Sunday | W, 14–10 | at Wake Forest | 25–4, 10–2 ACC |
| April | ||||
| 4 | Thursday | L, 14–11 | at No. 7 Virginia | 25–5, 10–3 ACC |
| 5 | Friday | L, 7–2 | at No. 7 Virginia | 25–6, 10–4 ACC |
| 6 | Saturday | W, 12–7 | at No. 7 Virginia | 26–6, 11–4 ACC |
| 9 | Tuesday | L, 2–1 | vs. South Carolina in Charlotte | 26–7 |
| 12 | Friday | W, 13–0, 6½ innings (10-run rule) | vs. Notre Dame | 27–7, 12–4 ACC |
| 13 | Saturday | W, 7–2 | vs. Notre Dame | 28–7, 13–4 ACC |
| 14 | Sunday | W, 10–3 | vs. Notre Dame | 29–7, 14–4 ACC |
| 16 | Tuesday | L, 5–4 | vs. Coastal Carolina | 29–8 |
| 18 | Thursday | L, 9–8 | at No. 6 N.C. State | 29–9, 14–5 ACC |
| 19 | Friday | L, 5–4 | at No. 6 N.C. State | 29–10, 14–6 ACC |
| 20 | Saturday | W, 14–3 | at No. 6 N.C. State | 30–10, 15–6 ACC |
| 23 | Tuesday | W, 5–2 | vs. Gardner-Webb | 31–10 |
| 26 | Friday | W, 8–1 | vs. Virginia Tech | 32–10, 16–6 ACC |
| 27 | Saturday | W, 6–3 | vs. Virginia Tech | 33–10, 17–6 ACC |
| 28 | Sunday | L, 4–3 | vs. Virginia Tech | 33–11, 17–7 ACC |
| 30 | Tuesday | W, 13–1, 6½ innings (10-run rule) | vs. Charlotte | 34–11 |
| May | ||||
| 1 | Wednesday | W, 19–2, 6½ innings (10-run rule) | vs. William & Mary | 35–11 |
| 7 | Tuesday | W, 16–10 | vs. Campbell | 36–11 |
| 10 | Friday | W, 13–4 8 innings (10-run rule) | vs. Louisville | 37–11, 18–7 ACC |
| 11 | Saturday | W, 6–4 | vs. Louisville | 38–11, 19–7 ACC |
| 12 | Sunday | W, 16–7 | vs. Louisville | 39–11, 20–7 ACC |
| 16 | Thursday | L, 5–3 | at No. 24 Duke | 39–12, 20–8 ACC |
| 17 | Friday | W, 6–4 | at No. 24 Duke | 40–12, 21–8 ACC |
| 18 | Saturday | W, 14–6 | at No. 24 Duke | 41–12, 22–8 ACC |
| ACC tournament | in Charlotte | |||
| 23 | Thursday | W, 12–2 | Pittsburgh | 42–12 |
| 24 | Friday | L, 9–5, 12 innings | Wake Forest | 42–13 |
| NCAA tournament | ||||
| Chapel Hill Regional | ||||
| 31 | Friday | W, 11–8 | Long Island | 43–13 |
| June | ||||
| 1 | Saturday | W, 6–2 | LSU | 44–13 |
| 2 | Sunday | L, 8–4 | LSU | 44–14 |
| 3 | Monday | W, 4–3, 10 innings | LSU | 45–14 |
| Chapel Hill Super Regional | ||||
| 7 | Friday | W, 8–6 | No. 13 West Virginia | 46–14 |
| 8 | Saturday | W, 2–1 | No. 13 West Virginia | 47–14 |
| College World Series Omaha, Neb. | ||||
| 14 | Friday | W, 3–2 | vs. No. 7 Virginia | 48–14 |
| 16 | Sunday | L, 6–1 | No. 1 Tennessee | 48–15 |
| 18 | Tuesday | L, 9–5 | No. 4 Florida State | 48–16 |
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics
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