Oklahoma baseball tops UNC, forces deciding game in Chapel Hill Regional
North Carolina baseball turned in two well-rounded performances in its first two games of the NCAA Tournament Chapel Hill Regional, but the Tar Heels couldn’t find the magic in Game 3.
Oklahoma defeated No. 5 overall seed UNC, 9-5, to force a winner-take-all game Monday. The Tar Heels are looking for their third Super Regional appearance in four seasons, while the Sooners hope to make their first since 2022. The two programs are set to play for a third time at 3 p.m. Monday. No TV information has been released.
“I told our guys after the game, ‘Every one of you got after it, it just wasn’t our night,’” UNC coach Scott Forbes said. “But, we’re going to flush it quickly, because we’re going to play again tomorrow.”
The most glaring issue for the Heels in Sunday’s game — a rematch of UNC’s second win of the regional Saturday — was relief pitching. It felt eerily similar to Carolina’s Sunday loss to LSU in the 2024 regional, which included missed offensive opportunities and bullpen struggles.
Senior Aidan Haugh started for UNC and went 3 2/3 innings, allowing just two runs — one earned — on four hits and four walks while striking out six. But Oklahoma made him throw 102 pitches, forcing him into a 3-2 count nine times in 20 batters.
OU shortstop Jaxon Willits said driving up the pitch count wasn’t necessarily part of the plan, but their efforts paid off.
“We were just up there competing, and we were using the plans we were given up there by the coaches,” Willits said. “They gave us good information, and we were able to go out there and take it. He was spinning a lot of offspeed, changeups and breaking balls, so we were up there taking those trying to get our fastballs. I feel like we did pretty well with the fastball.”
The Tar Heels used five additional pitchers in the matchup. None could stifle the visitors, and all but one allowed at least one run and often went deep into their at-bats. UNC’s bullpen added eight full counts of its own.
Sophomore Olin Johnson, who was tabbed with the loss, lasted a brief two-thirds of an inning. The right-hander gave up a leadoff single and a home run from OU designated hitter Drew Dickerson. Dickerson’s fourth homer of the season put the Sooners in front for good during a five-run, sixth-inning outburst.
Lefty Folger Boaz also lasted two-thirds of an inning. The sophomore allowed two hits and one walk, leading to three more Oklahoma runs. The runs, however, were scored as unearned on Boaz’s stat line due to a two-out error.
Oklahoma’s success against the UNC pitching staff led to six leadoff opportunities and 10 free passes.
“I want to give credit to Oklahoma. They played really well. They have a really good team. You’ve got to beat them, and they played better than we did tonight. That’s why they came out on top and we didn’t,” Forbes said. “They had traffic the whole night. I don’t think we had a 1-2-3, inning. We didn’t make our normal plays defensively. When you don’t pitch at a high level and defend at a high level, it’s hard to win those games against a really good team.”
UNC did not throw its top relievers, Ryan Lynch or Walker McDuffie. Both should be available for Monday’s deciding game.
“We needed more length to get deeper into the game to get Lynch or McDuffie in there. Didn’t happen, but they’re ready to go,” Forbes said. “They’ll be fully rested.”
On the other side, Oklahoma freshman Jaden Barfield made his third start of the season for the Sooners, bringing with him a 3.86 ERA in 17 appearances. The lefty entered the game giving up 21 hits, nine runs, nine walks and 18 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings pitched.
Barfield tied his career high in strikeouts with three in four innings of work. The rookie gave up two hits and one home run, his first allowed this season.
Oklahoma relief pitcher James Hitt allowed four runs, but the others — Jason Bodin and Dylan Crooks — kept UNC from adding any runs despite some tense moments in the final three innings.
UNC faced its first deficit of the regional after OU third baseman Dawson Willis crushed a solo home run 364 feet, clearing the left field wall, in the bottom of the third inning.
Gavin Gallaher continued his clutch hitting for the Heels when he responded to Willis’ homer. The third baseman launched a 397-footer to dead center field and tied the game at one.
He hit a two-out, two RBI double in the fifth frame that gave UNC a 3-2 lead, its first advantage of the night. The sophomore did it again in the seventh, when his two-out double added one run and cut the Heels’ deficit to two.
Gallaher, who went 3-for-5, was one of four players with a hit. He and first baseman Kane Kepley were the only Tar Heels with multiple hits. Gallaher contributed four RBI in the loss and is 9-of-12 on the weekend.
“I try to keep it simple. Do the same thing every time. Be consistent,” Gallaher said about his mindset at the plate. “Before I get to the plate, I know what my approach is, and I know what I’m looking to do. Then, I just try to stick to that and execute.”
UNC’s batters went 7-for-34 (.206) overall and 4-for-20 (.200) with runners on base, leaving nine men stranded.
The Tar Heels had a chance to tie or take the lead in the top of the eighth when they loaded the bases with no outs. Crooks set down the next three Carolina batters in order to escape the jam. He earned the save, his 15th of the season, for the Sooners.
This story was originally published June 1, 2025 at 11:00 PM.
