By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — No. 6 North Carolina needed to play well after midnight to pull out a victory, and that is no April Fool’s joke. But there might have been a bit of foolishness along the way that lengthened a long night at Boshamer Stadium.
The teams combined for 30 strikeouts among 16 players, including a platinum sombrero (five strikeouts) for Carolina’s Carter French. There were 645 pitches thrown, and the game lasted 4 hours and 46 minutes.
The key definitive numbers, though, were 5–4 in 14 innings, the Tar Heels’ winning score when Rom Kellis V lined an RBI single into center field to end Campbell’s nine-game winning streak in a game that started Tuesday but ended at 12:48 a.m. Wednesday.
Gavin Gallaher, who hit a home run hours earlier in the first inning, led off the 14th with a walk and went to third on Erik Paulson’s single. Macon Winslow walked to load the bases against Parker Webb, Campbell’s seventh pitcher, before Kellis finally ended it with UNC’s second game-ending hit that didn’t involve a run-rule.
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UNC coach Scott Forbes’ long win came after his contract extension, which runs through at least 2031, was announced on Tuesday. His team’s 25–4–1 start is the fifth-best 30-game start in program history.
Forbes said he stuck with Kellis (below photo) in that spot because “we thought he matched up well, but it is still [his ability to] compete,” adding that “you get in there, you just want to know what the pitcher has and what his strengths are and what his weaknesses are.”
UNC (25–4–1) won it thanks to terrific pitching, topped by left-hander Jackson Rose. The freshman was superb in his longest outing of the season. He threw 71 pitches, hurling six one-hit shutout innings with five strikeouts, striking out the side swinging in the 11th inning.
“We do not win that game if he does not go in there and pitch like he did,” Forbes said. “Jackson Rose grew like a weekend starter for us against a really good offense. That was just so awesome, because we know how talented he is and the more arms that emerge.”
Rose’s emotional fire stood out as well.
“He was so impressive, and he was emotional, which is what I want our guys to be, and he was just getting after it and competing,” Forbes said.
Rose said staying calm pitch to pitch was key, even as the night stretched on.
“It was just a good feeling knowing they kept rolling me out there,” he said. When he finally left after six scoreless frames, he admitted, “coming off was big, like it felt big for the guys and everyone was really hype.”
His snap pickoff in the 10th inning erased a leadoff batter he had walked and turned the momentum sharply.
“We thought that they were going to push bunt potentially,” Forbes said, adding that things shifted when baserunner Jett Music extended his lead at first base.
“I was just talking with Coach [Bryant] Gaines, and he put it on,” Forbes said. “Sure enough, he picked him off. He is ultra-athletic, probably one of the better snap picks I have seen here since Andrew Miller.”
Rose agreed that the moment was huge.
“Luckily, my ball ran, and it ran down into them, and that was super exciting, too,” Rose said.
Graduate left-hander Tom Chmielewski (2–0) retired all three Camels he faced in the 14th inning.
Carolina might have ended with the bases loaded in the 12th inning, but Owen Hull got thrown out trying to steal home with two outs in an attempt he made on his own, which promptly got him taken out of the game.
Forbes chose not to elaborate.
“I do not have a comment on that right now. It’s a big win. I’ll take care of that,” he said. “I love Owen Hull like a son, but things happen throughout the course of the season and as the head coach, there are some things I am not going to talk about, and I like to keep in the locker room. It is all about the team. That’ll be addressed, and we’ll move forward.”
Gallaher launched a 3–0 pitch 380 feet to right-center field for an opposite-field solo home run in the first inning.
Campbell (18–10) chased UNC starter Boston Flannery after he gave up a single, an RBI double and a walk with no outs in the second inning. Walker McDuffie got out of the inning, but not before giving up a single and a bases-loaded walk as the Camels took a 3–1 lead.
Forbes pointed out that although McDuffie was hit hard early, “every pitcher that pitched today was aggressive” and that the bullpen overall “did not make too many mistakes.”
UNC third baseman Cooper Nicholson, whose throwing error started that Camels rally, got a run back with a 341-foot home run to left field with two outs in the bottom of the second inning.
Cameron Padgett started the fourth inning on the mound for UNC, but came out with two outs and the bases loaded after giving up two walks and a double. Camron Seagraves came on and struck out Logan Chapman swinging on a 3–2 fastball to escape further damage.
UNC left the bases loaded in the fifth when Winslow struck out swinging, and left two on in the sixth when French struck out looking.
A fielding error by Campbell first baseman Joey Morton in the seventh made Jack Schaffner the first UNC leadoff man to reach base. Schaffner stole second, took third on a passed ball and scored on Winslow’s groundout to trim the deficit to 4–3.
Colin Hynek singled over the second baseman’s head to lead off the eighth inning. Pinch runner Perry Hargett moved to second on Tyler Howe’s bunt and scored on Nicholson’s double off the left-field wall to tie it at 4.
Forbes credited his team’s resilience throughout the grinding night.
“We are very well led in the locker room, because you need player leadership as well,” he said. “The players win the games, and you get the right guys, like a Gavin Gallaher, who is in it for the right reasons, and it spreads in the locker room in a good way.”
Notes
— UNC opens a three-game home series with No. 22 Boston College at 6 p.m. Thursday, with games at 6 p.m. on Friday and noon on Saturday. The Eagles (21–9, 8–4), who beat Maine at home 7–4 on Tuesday, won two of three in a home series last weekend against No. 10 Virginia.
— It was Campbell’s first extra-inning game. UNC moved to 3–0 in extra-inning games, all at home, after a 4–3 win in 11 innings on Feb. 14 against Indiana and an 8–7 victory in 12 innings on March 7, both in the second games of doubleheaders.
— UNC was 2 of 12 with runners in scoring position, and left 10 batters on base.
— The game was the second this season on the ACC Network. Thursday’s BC game is also on ACC Network, as is next Tuesday’s 7 p.m. home game against Charlotte.
— It was the annual visit to a baseball game for the UNC band.
— UNC leads the all-time series with Campbell 43–11, including 29–7 in Chapel Hill after winning its fourth consecutive victory over the Camels.
— Caleb Wilson was at the game.
No. 6 UNC 5, Campbell 4 (14)
| Date(s) | Day/ month | Scores | Opponent (current rank) | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February | ||||
| 13–14 | Fri., Sat. | W, 9–4; W, 12–2 (7); W, 4–3 (11) | vs. Indiana | 3–0 |
| 17 | Tuesday | W, 10–0 (7) | vs. Richmond | 4–0 |
| 18 | Wednesday | W, 5–3 | vs. Longwood | 5–0 |
| 20–22 | Fri.-Sun | W, 10–0 (8); L, 10–3; T, 3–3 | vs. East Carolina | 6–1–1 |
| 24 | Tuesday | W, 9–1 | vs. N.C. A&T | 7–1–1 |
| 25 | Wednesday | W, 13–3 (7) | vs. VCU | 8–1–1 |
| 27–28 | Fri., Sat. | W, 16–3 (7); W, 12–2 (7) | vs. Le Moyne | 10–1–1 |
| March | ||||
| 1 | Sunday | W, 21–1 (7) | vs. Le Moyne | 11–1–1 |
| 3 | Tuesday | W, 5–1 | vs. Elon | 12–1–1 |
| 6–7 | Fri., Sat | L, 13–3 (7); L, 9–2; W, 8–7 (12) | vs. Virginia | 13–3–1, 1–2 ACC |
| 10 | Tuesday | W, 13–3 (7) | vs. Bucknell | 14–3–1 |
| 13–15 | Fri.-Sun. | W, 8–1; W, 6–2; W, 10–2 | at California | 17–3–1, 4–2 |
| 18 | Wednesday | W, 8–2 | vs. UNCG | 18–3–1 |
| 20–22 | Fri.–Sun. | W, 11–1 (8); L, 2–0; W, 7–6 | vs. Louisville | 20–4–1, 6–3 |
| 24 | Tuesday | W, 9–1 | vs. South Carolina in Charlotte | 21–4–1 |
| 28, 29 | Sat., Sun | W, 6–5; W, 13–7; W, 15–10 | at Notre Dame | 24–4–1, 9–3 |
| 31 | Tuesday | W, 5–4 (14) | vs. Campbell | 25–4–1 |
| April | ||||
| 2–4 | Thur.-Sat. | L, 6–1; W, 5–2; W, 8–7 | vs. Boston College | 27–5–1, 11–4 |
| 7 | Tuesday | W, 8–4 | vs. Charlotte | 28–5–1 |
| 10–12 | Fri.–Sun. | L, 9–5; W, 6–4 (14); W, 12–5 | at Clemson | 30–6–1, 13–5 |
| 14 | Tuesday | W, 14–5 | vs. UNCW | 31–6–1 |
| 17–19 | Fri.-Sun. | W, 5–2; W, 14–4 (8); L, 5–2 | vs. No. 2 Georgia Tech | 33–7–1, 15–6 |
| 21 | Tuesday | W, 9–2 | vs. High Point | 34–7–1 |
| 23–25 | Thur.–Sat. | W, 3–1; L, 3–1; W, 22–5 (7) | at Duke | 36–8–1, 17–7 |
| 28 | Tuesday | L, 12–2 | vs. Coastal Carolina | 36–9–1 |
| May | ||||
| 3 | Sunday | W, 13–0 (7) (non-conference game) | vs. Duke | 37–9–1 |
| 8–10 | Fri.-Sun. | W, 4–1; W, 12–2 (8); W, 7–3 | vs. Pittsburgh | 40–9–1, 20–7 |
| 12 | Tuesday | W, 13–7 | at UNCW | 41–9–1 |
| 14–16 | Thur.-Sat. | W, 9–4; W, 17–7 (8); L, 7–2 | at N.C. State | 43–10–1, 22–8 |
| ACC tournament | Charlotte | |||
| 22 | Friday | W, 10–4 | Quarterfinal vs. Virginia Tech | 44–10–1 |
| 23 | Saturday | W, 13–5 | Semifinal vs. Pittsburgh | 45–10–1 |
| 24 | Sunday | L, 13–6 | Championship vs. No. 2 Ga. Tech | 45–11–1 |
| NCAA tournament | ||||
| Chapel Hill Regional | ||||
| 29 | Friday | W, 8–0 | VCU | 46–11–1 |
| 30–31 | Sat.–Sun. | W, 7–5; W, 9–3 | East Carolina | 48–11–1 |
| June | ||||
| Chapel Hill Super Regionals | ||||
| 5–7 | Fri.–Sun. | L, 9–5; W, 4–0; W, 4–3 | Southern Cal | 50–12–1 |
| College World Series | Omaha, Neb. | |||
| 12 | Friday | W, 6–2 | No. 18 Ole Miss | 51–12–1 |
| 14, 17 | Sun., Wed. | W, 5–2; W, 12–7 | No. 9 West Virginia | 53–12–1 |
| 20–22 | Sat.-Mon. | L, 9–3; W, 6–2; L, 13–2 | CWS Finals vs. Oklahoma | 54–14–1 |
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics
