⚾: Tar Heels Win on Walk-Off HR

CHAPEL HILL – After rallying back from a four-run deficit in the first inning – and leading in the ninth – Florida State (32-20, 15-13 ACC) lost 7-5 to North Carolina (32-19, 13-15) on a walk-off three-run home run from Alberto Osuna. It was Osuna’s second three-run home run of the game.

North Carolina led 4-0 after the first inning, scoring all three runs against FSU starter Carson Montgomery. Montgomery, Conner Whittaker and Wyatt Crowell (5-1) combined to keep the Tar Heels off the board for seven innings until Osuna’s ninth-inning home run.

FSU slowly clawed back into the game before taking the lead in the eighth inning. Jaime Ferrer doubled in the fourth inning and scored on James Tibbs’ single. Logan Lacey’s solo home run later that inning made the lead 4-2 UNC.

In the sixth, Ferrer hit his eighth home run of the season, over the scoreboard in left field. With two outs in the eighth, Ferrer singled and Tibbs’ 10^th home run of the season gave FSU its first lead.

Crowell entered in relief of Whittaker, who threw four scoreless innings. In the eighth, North Carolina loaded the bases without getting the ball out of the infield, but Crowell struck out leadoff hitter Angel Zarate to strand all three runners.

In the ninth, UNC reached on a single and a walk before Osuna’s home run on a 2-2 count. It was FSU’s second walk-off loss in as many games.

SCORING SUMMARY:

B1 | FSU 0, UNC 1    Serretti doubled, Zarate scored
B1 | FSU 0, UNC 4    Osuna home run, Serretti & Honeycutt scored
T4 | FSU 1, UNC 4    Tibbs singled, Ferrer scored on an error
T4 | FSU 2, UNC 4    Lacey home run
T6 | FSU 3, UNC 4    Ferrer home run
T8 | FSU 5, UNC 4    Tibbs home run, Ferrer scored
B9 | FSU 5, UNC 7    Osuna home run, Serretti & Alvarez scored

UP NEXT:

Game two of the series is Friday at 6:00 p.m. Parker Messick (6-3, 2.94 ERA, 132 strikeouts) will make his 14^th start of the season.

OF NOTE:

• FSU’s three home runs tied a season high.
• James Tibbs’ 10^th home run is the most for a Seminole since Drew Mendoza also hit 10 in 2017. He has reached safely in 37 of his 39 starts.
• Jaime Ferrer added three more hits Thursday and was a triple shy of the cycle. He has eight home runs and leads FSU with a .318 average, 61 hits and 15 doubles. His 61 hits are the most for an FSU freshman Cal Raleigh’s 69 in 2016.
• Ferrer leads FSU with 15 multi-hit games. His three runs scored tied a team-high for the season.
• Jordan Carrion had a pair of singles, while Logan Lacey added a single and his seventh home run. Carrion (13) and Lacey (12) are second and third on the team in multi-hit games.