Skye Bolt drove in two runs while starter Zac Gallen pitched into the seventh inning to help North Carolina beat Virginia Tech 5-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference baseball tournament.
Gallen (4-3) allowed two runs in 6 2-3 innings for the eighth-seeded Tar Heels (33-22), who advanced to pool play on Tuesday. UNC had lost six straight against league opponents, but went ahead for good with a three-run fourth inning that included Bolt’s RBI sacrifice fly as well as RBI singles from Logan Warmoth and Zack Gahagan.
The ninth-seeded Hokies (27-27) got the tying run aboard in the ninth, but reliever Trevor Kelley earned the save by forcing Brendon Hayden to ground out to end it.
Kit Scheetz (3-4) took the loss, allowing six hits and three unearned runs in four innings. Saige Jenco led the Hokies with three hits.
Josh Sborz took a perfect game into the seventh inning and Virginia beat Georgia Tech 11-0 in a play-in game at the Atlantic Coast Conference baseball tournament.
Sborz retired the first 18 hitters he faced on Tuesday before pinch-hitter Ryan Peurifoy doubled to lead off the seventh. Sborz finished with a one-hitter with eight strikeouts and two walks to help the seventh-seeded Cavaliers (34-19) advance into pool play. Virginia will face second-seeded Miami on Wednesday.
“Josh Sborz has been very, very unselfish,” Virginia head coach Brian O’Connor said in a statement released by UVA after the game. “It’s amazing how, when you take that approach in this game, the game comes back and rewards you. We had a ton of confidence in him. It seems like every time that we’ve given this guy the ball in a big situation in his career, he’s come through.
Daniel Pinero hit a two-run homer and finished with four RBIs, Pavin Smith added a two-run shot and Kenny Towns had a two-run single for Virginia.
Pinero’s blast in the fifth inning gave the Cavaliers an 11-run lead. The tournament has a 10-run mercy rule after seven innings.
The 10th-seeded Yellow Jackets (32-23) won its play-in game last year before going on to win its ninth league tournament.
UVA will play Miami at 3 p.m. Wednesday.
