Duke sends UNC to ACC baseball tourney; NC State avoids play-in – WRALSportsFan.com

North Carolina is headed to the ACC baseball tournament and they have the Blue Devils to thank.

Going into Friday’s game against Virginia, the Tar Heels needed a win or a Wake Forest loss to seal their ACC tournament berth.

North Carolina (32-21, 13-15 ACC) fell to Virginia 6-2 after going down early to the Cavaliers, but eleven miles down the road the Blue Devils delivered for their Tobacco Road foe.

Duke, who has already missed the tourney cut, defeated Wake Forest 7-0 at Jack Coombs Field Friday. Sophomore Cris Perez went 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored to power the Duke (30-22, 9-19 ACC) offense. Perez’s bases-clearing double in the third established a comfortable 5-0 margin for the Blue Devils.

The UNC loss coupled with Clemson and NC State’s wins, however, guarantees the Tar Heels will take the field in one of the ACC tourney play-in games Tuesday.

Virginia put three across in the first after UNC starter J.B. Bukauskas had some early trouble. A double by the Cavaliers’ Kenny Towns plated two and a wild pitch by Bukauskas scored Matt Thaiss.

Bukauskas allowed two more runs to score in the second before being relieved by Trevor Kelley.

A Jack Gerstenmaier two-out RBI single in the top of the fifth extended the Virginia lead to 6-0.

North Carolina got on the board after a Logan Warmoth single over the third baseman scored two in the bottom of the eighth.

Virginia (32-19, 14-15 ACC) secured its third consecutive series win against Carolina.

Wolfpack avoid play-in

With a 3-2 win over No. 2 Louisville at Doak Field Friday, NC State secured a spot in the ACC tournament pool play round avoiding a play-in Tuesday.

NC State (31-19, 15-13 ACC) will either enter the field as a five or six seed depending on their result against Louisville and Clemson at Florida State’s result Saturday. The Wolfpack hold the head-to-head tie-breaker by beating the Tigers two-out-of-three this during the regular season.

Logan Ratledge continued his hot week at the plate for NC State with a two-run triple in the third to give the Wolfpack an early lead. A throwing error by the Cards in the sixth plated Preston Palmiero for an important insurance run.

Louisville (41-14, 24-5 ACC) put the tying run on base in the ninth but Tommy DeJuneas struck out Nick Solak to end the game.

Around the ACC

The Demon Deacons (27-25, 12-17 ACC) are still on the outside looking in, a win Saturday and help from Virginia Tech (26-26, 12-16 ACC) will put them in the field of ten.

Louisville has secured the No. 1 seed and Miami the No. 2. The number three and four seeds will go to Florida State and Notre Dame, with a win Saturday FSU will grab the No. 3 seed and No. 4 seed with a loss.

Virginia and Georgia Tech also secured ACC tournament berths Friday, each will play in one of Tuesday’s play-in games.