Gavin Gallaher hit a tiebreaking two-run triple during a three-run seventh inning to help No. 5 North Carolina produce a 5-2 victory over No. 16 West Virginia on Sunday night in Men’s College World Series play at Omaha, Neb.
Owen Hull had two hits and one RBI and Carter French also had two hits for the Tar Heels (52-12-1), who will continue on in winner’s bracket play on Wednesday.
Right-hander Walker McDuffie (9-3) pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief for North Carolina before running into trouble in the ninth. Right-hander Caden Glauber struck out both batters he faced for his fifth save.
Armani Guzman had two hits and one RBI and Brodie Kresser had two hits for West Virginia (46-16), which committed two errors during North Carolina’s three-run seventh-inning uprising. The Mountaineers will oppose Troy on Tuesday in an elimination contest.
At the outset of the seventh, Mountaineers third baseman Tyrus Hall and second baseman Kresser booted routine grounders in a span of three batters to set up the Tar Heels.
Gallaher then made West Virginia pay with a shot into the gap in right-center off Maxx Yehl (9-3) to score French and Jake Schaffner and give North Carolina a 4-2 lead. Hull followed with a grounded single up the middle for another run.
The left-handed Yehl allowed five runs (two earned) and eight hits over seven-plus innings. He had seven strikeouts and walked one.
North Carolina right-hander Ryan Lynch gave up two runs and five hits over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out two and walked two. McDuffie struck out four and gave up three hits and two walks.
Matt Ineich drew a one-out walk off McDuffie in the ninth and Kresser followed with a single to right-center. Glauber entered and struck out Ben Lumsden and fanned Hall looking to end it.
The Tar Heels scored twice in the first inning after loading the bases with one out. The first crossed when Erik Paulsen walked and the second came in on Cooper Nicholson’s infield out.
West Virginia got a run back in the third on Guzman’s RBI single. One inning later, a double-play grounder plated the tying run.
–Field Level Media
