LSU hands UNC baseball rare home loss, setting up Monday’s NCAA Regional title showdown

To advance to the Super Regionals, North Carolina is going to have to play LSU one more time.

The Tigers, the defending national champions, beat the No. 4 nationally seeded Tar Heels 8-4 on Sunday night in front of an announced crowd of 4,098 fans. The loss was just the third for UNC at home in Boshamer Stadium this season.

LSU (43-22) and UNC (44-14) will now play for a third time in the regional stage of the NCAA Tournament on Monday at 6 p.m. on ESPN+. The winner will advance to the Super Regionals and the loser will see its season end.

“I think we were disappointed we lost for about 10 seconds and then we flipped the switch and realized that we have an awesome opportunity tomorrow with the home crowd,” UNC senior first baseman Parks Harber said. “So, we’re just pumped up and ready to go.”

LSU advanced to this second matchup with UNC by beating Wofford in an elimination game Sunday afternoon, 13-6.

And the Tigers’ bats remained incredibly effective against the Tar Heels.

UNC fell behind by two runs early when starting pitcher Aidan Haugh surrendered a two-run homer to LSU’s Josh Pearson in the bottom of the first. Haugh allowed another run in the third inning when LSU’s Michael Braswell slapped a single into shallow right field to score teammate Steven Milam.

“Anytime you strike first, that makes your team more confident,” UNC skipper Scott Forbes said. “We had those same opportunities, we just couldn’t quite square that ball up tonight.”

LSU starting pitcher Thatcher Hurd, a 6-foot-4 righthander, held the Tar Heels hitless through 3 2/3 innings – striking out five UNC batters along the way – until Harber connected on a 1-2 offering, sending it into right field for a double. Anthony Donofrio brought Harber home four pitches later, notching a single to put the Tar Heels on the scoreboard.

But the Tigers increased their lead in the bottom half of the frame, with LSU scoring four runs as the Tar Heels cycled through three pitchers. Haugh gave up a single and was pulled for Kyle Percival, who walked each of the two batters he faced, loading the bases. Connor Bovair was then tasked with cleaning up the mess but allowed the Tigers to push their advantage to six runs before getting out of the frame.

LSU added another run in the fifth inning, with Hayden Travinski hitting a 398-foot solo homer over the wall in left-center.

While UNC lost, Harber had a solid day at the plate, going 2-for-4. He scored another run in the top of the sixth, reaching home from third on a wild pitch. The Tar Heels loaded the bases with two outs later in the inning, but Gavin Gallaher struck out swinging on a full count, missing a low and inside pitch.

Donofrio had a decent performance as well, going 3-for-4 with three RBI. He hit a bases-loaded single into left field in the top of the seventh to score two of his teammates.

The heroes of UNC’s two regional wins over the weekend – Gallaher and Vance Honeycutt – went a combined 0-for-10 at the plate with five strikeouts. Honeycutt struck out looking in the top of the eighth with two runners on and two outs. Gallaher approached the plate with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth but flew out to left field for the game’s final out.

“I think it was the execution of the pitchers. (Hurd) has major league stuff. He’s going to pitch in the major leagues for a long time,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “Those guys are great players. We executed really well tonight. I think it’s more about our pitchers.”

If LSU continues to pitch this well, the Tar Heels will need their bats to be at their very best on Monday.

“All of our horses,” Forbes said. “They’ll be ready.”

This story was originally published June 2, 2024 at 10:32 PM.