CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Long Island University showed their unmatched perseverance in the brightest of spotlights in their game against the North Carolina Tar Heels on Friday evening at Boshamer Stadium as part of the NCAA Baseball Regionals.
The Sharks continued their resilient ways on Friday, coming back from a 5-3 deficit highlighted by a four-run top of the ninth to put UNC on the ropes. However, UNC scored six of their own in the ninth including a walk-off grand slam from Gavin Gallaher to escape with an 11-8 victory.
The Tar Heels got things started with an RBI single from designated hitter Alberto Osuna in the bottom half of the first, with starter
Garrett Yawn preventing any further damage on a night where he showed why head coach
Dan Pirillo gave him the ball to open Regionals.
Yawn, an All-NEC first team selection, settled after the first and kept UNC's hitters guessing with his perfect blend of fastballs and off-speed pitches.
LIU's lineup showed the patience they've practiced all season long to help get some early baserunners against UNC starter Jason DeCaro. They didn't capitalize until the top of the third inning when senior first baseman
JC Navarro crushed a three-run homer to right to put the Sharks up 3-1.
The homer was Navarro's 16th of the season, tying him with
Jake Mastillo for the program record.
Leading 3-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, Yawn was tasked with silencing the top of the Tar Heels lineup and he did so with style. Yawn struck out the side, getting leadoff man Vance Honeycutt swinging, followed by Casey Cook looking. He closed out the inning punching out UNC three-hitter Parks Harber.
The Tar Heels were able to wiggle out of some jams before eventually taking the lead in the bottom of the sixth. An RBI double by Gallaher, who hit two home runs on the night, tied the score at three, while Alex Madera put their club ahead with a two-run single.
Even with stud reliever Dalton Pence taking the mound for UNC, LIU wouldn't stop fighting. Redshirt freshman and Commack-native
Matthew McGurk, pinch-hitting for
Jarod Wade who made a couple dazzling plays in the field, blasted a solo homer to left, his fifth of the season, keeping the Sharks alive at 5-4.
Two shutout innings from reliever
Jack VanDoran set the stage for the Sharks to make a classic rally that has become the calling card for this club.
Benjamin Fierenzi singled to center to start the inning and advanced to second with LIU down to their last out. Navarro laced a ball down the third-base line and as he raised his arms running up the first-base line, Fierenzi stormed home to tie the game at five.
After
Jack Power was intentionally walked, it was up to
Jacob Pipercic to come through in the biggest spot of his young baseball career.
He grooved into a 2-1 offering from UNC reliever Matt Poston that easily cleared the fence in left, causing LIU players, fans and alumni at Boshamer to erupt into a frenzy. It was Pipercic's third home run of the season, and the biggest one he's hit to date.
The Tar Heels showed why they are the fourth-overall seed in this NCAA Tournament and squeaked out a win with their six-run ninth.
Navarro finished 2-for-5 with two runs, a home run and four RBI.
Seth Surrett also ended up 2-for-5, while Mastillo drew three walks with Power drawing two of his own and getting hit by a pitch.
Yawn tossed 6.0 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits, walking three and striking out seven on 107 pitches.
LIU returns to action Saturday, June 1, in this double-elimination regional against Wofford, who also lost on a walk-off home run earlier in the day against LSU. Both the Sharks and the Terriers will look to extend their seasons with the game called for 12 p.m. ET on ESPN+.