University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Duke
No. 18 Tar Heels Fall To Duke In 12, 9-8
March 29, 2014 | Baseball
DURHAM, N.C. --- Ryan Deitrich's game-winning single in the bottom of the 12th gave Duke a series-clinching 9-8 win over No. 18 North Carolina Saturday at Jack Coombs Field. Carolina had leads of 6-1 and 8-6 but could not hold off the Blue Devils, who secured their first series win over UNC since 2010. Korey Dunbar had three hits, and Michael Russell and Tom Zengel clubbed back-to-back home runs to lead the Tar Heel offense.
Carolina (15-11, 5-6 ACC) jumped out to a 6-1 lead with five runs off Duke starter Andrew Istler. The Tar Heels scored two in the first, one in the second and three in the third before the Blue Devils started to claw their way back.
Benton Moss walked the bases loaded in the third and hit a batter to force in a run but escaped further trouble to maintain a 6-3 lead after three. But the Blue Devils (16-12, 6-5 ACC) tacked on another run in the fourth and two more in the fifth to chase Moss after 4.1 innings, his shortest outing of the year.
Russell and Zengel gave Carolina an 8-6 lead with their back-to-back homers in the sixth. With two outs in the inning, Russell hit a moon shot out to left off Dillon Haviland to make it 7-6. Zengel then pushed it to 8-6 with his third homer of the year, the second time in three weeks the senior has been part of back-to-back long balls.
But Hovis surrendered his first runs since opening day in the bottom of the seventh to let Duke back in it. After a one-out solo homer by Chris Marconcini, Duke pushed across the tying run with a two-out single by Deitrich.
From there, UNC freshman lefty Zach Rice and a host of Blue Devil relievers traded zeroes until the home half of the 12th. Rice issued a one-out walk to Marconcini in the 12th and was lifted after 3.1 innings in favor of Spencer Trayner. After an errant pickoff attempt allowed Marconcini to advance to third, Carolina intentionally walked the bases loaded to set up a potential double play. But Deitrich struck again, and his solid single inside the third base bag scored Marconcini to end it.
Duke closer Robert Huber - the ninth Blue Devil pitcher of the five hour, eight minute marathon - went 3.1 scoreless innings to get the win. Rice, who was saddled with the final run, was the hard-luck loser after his own masterful relief appearance.
Carolina will look to snap its season-long five-game losing streak in Sunday's series finale, which is set to begin at 1 p.m.
