North Carolina falls to LSU in the first regional championship game, 8-4

The Diamond Heels fell to the No. 2 seeded LSU Tigers in the Chapel Hill Regionals first of two finals, 8-4. After taking care of the defending champions rather comfortably on Saturday evening in the 1-0 game, the Tar Heels were unable to cruise through their own regional with a sweep.

The Tigers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first thanks to a Josh Pearson home run off North Carolina starter Aidan Haugh. He lasted just 3.0 innnings, giving up five hits and four runs. Toeing the rubber for LSU was former CWS hero Thatcher Hurd, who had been inconsistent and stagnant in his Junior campaign. That trend came to a close, as Hurd went 5.2 innings and only allowed two runs.

The Tar Heels scratched a run in the fourth to make it a 3-1 ball game, but in the bottom of the same inning is where the wheels fell off. Three singles and three walks led to a four-run Tiger outburst, and it was an uphill battle from then on out for the hosting Diamond Heels.

North Carolina showed some fight, plating three runs in the back half of the game. That said, the No. 4 overall seed Tar Heels left bases loaded in three of the last four innings, and couldn’t quite get over the hump in really breaking into the Tigers lead. A Gavin Gallaher fly ball that would’ve tied the game at eight came up about 15 feet short on the final swing, and North Carolina was never able to deliver the big timely hit even with multiple opportunities down the stretch. The chances were there, but small margins (strike three calls, Honeycutt’s foul ball HR) loomed large and left the Diamond Heels just short.

On a positive note, the LSU bullpen ran through four arms on Sunday evening, and the Game 7 elimination contest will be the Tigers fifth game in four days. The Tar Heels aren’t exactly fresh themselves, but more options should be available for Scott Forbes and his staff.

The rubber match is slated for 6pm ET on Monday. The winner will advance to the super regionals and host either Grand Canyon or West Virginia with a trip to Omaha on the line.