JACKSONVILLE, FLA. - As if North Carolina's opening-round game against Virginia at the Atlantic Coast Conference baseball tournament that pushed into the early morning hours Thursday needed any more drama, it was provided anyway.

Virginia scored two runs in the top of the 11th, and North Carolina finally ran out of answers.

John Barr's catch in center field robbed UNC third baseman Chad Flack of a winning hit, preserving Virginia's 8-7 upset win and damaging the Tar Heels' chances of defending their ACC tournament championship.

Trailing by two, the Tar Heels loaded the bases in the bottom half of the 11th and climbed within one on Tim Fedroff's infield single.

Flack swung at the first pitch and looped it into center field where Barr's sliding catch ended the back-and-forth game.

Barr walked and scored a run scored on a wild pitch for UVa in the top half of the 11th, and David Adams drove home David Coleman for what turned out to be the winning run. The Tar Heels were unable to extend the game as they had in the ninth and 10th.

North Carolina overcame a blown save in the top of the ninth by Rob Wooten as Dustin Ackley tripled home Garrett Gore to tie the score and send it to extra innings. After UVa scored again in the top of the 10th to take a one-run lead, Flack's homer in the bottom of the 10th tied the score again and gave the Tar Heels new life.

North Carolina was in control heading into the ninth, but Virginia took advantage of a leadoff walk and a North Carolina error to score two runs to take a 5-4 lead.

Wooten entered the game in the eighth and breezed through the side in order. In the ninth, however, he ran into some problems. Phil Gosselin led the inning off with a walk and then moved over to second on Franco Valdes' sacrifice bunt. Barr's base hit up the middle scored Gosselin to tie the score.

When Barr attempted to steal second, Carolina catcher Tim Federowicz's throw skipped into center field and Barr advanced to third. Gore slipped as he fielded Tyler Cannon's grounder at second base, and his only choice was to throw to first to get the out, allowing Barr to score the game winning run from third.

After allowing three runs in the first two innings, UNC starting pitcher Alex White settled down and was dominant. He retired the last 10 Virginia hitters he faced, and his 11 strikeouts tied a career high. White allowed only two base runners after the second inning, and he bought enough time for the Carolina bats to warm up.

Flack led off the bottom of the sixth with a double to the right- field corner, and Kyle Seagar bunted him over to third. Federowicz singled through a drawn-in infield to drive home Flack and give the Tar Heels a 4-3 lead.