Tyler Lynn's 10th inning single clinched a perfect weekend for UNC in its top five series with Clemson.
CHAPEL HILL — Tyler Lynn's infield single in the 10th inning was the game-winner as No. 4 North Carolina completed a sweep of No. 3 Clemson with a 3-2 victory Sunday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium. Lynn had three hits and drove in all three runs to make a winner of Josh Hiatt, who tossed 2.2 hitless and scoreless innings on a day when the UNC bullpen went seven shutout frames.
Clemson (34-11, 16-8 ACC) led for the third straight day thanks to Chris Williams' two-run homer off Jason Morgan in the first. That, however, would be all for the Tigers thanks to the standout pitching of Morgan and three Carolina relievers.
Nothing like a walk-off in extras!
— Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) April 30, 2017
Watch Tyler Lynn give the Heels the Sunday W pic.twitter.com/N8vmFX8RmH
Carolina (36-9, 19-5 ACC) tied the game with unearned runs in the fourth and sixth against Tiger starter Pat Krall. Krall allowed just five hits over eight innings, but an RBI groundout by Lynn in the fourth and first-pitch single by the senior outfielder in the sixth evened the score at 2.
Brett Daniels pitched around four hits over three scoreless innings before handing the ball to Rodney Hutchison Jr. to start the seventh. Hutchison retired all four batters he faced, bridging the gap to Hiatt, who entered with one gone in the eighth to face Clemson All-American Seth Beer. Hiatt (2-1) got Beer to fly out and only a hit by pitch in the 10th kept the Tar Heel closer from being perfect over 2.2 innings.
Jeremy Beasley (1-1) stranded the winning run on second in the ninth but left with two on and one out in the 10th. Ashton McGee led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice before Brandon Riley was intentionally walked. Tyler Jackson got the second out of the inning before Clemson went to lefty Alex Schnell to face Lynn.
How good has Josh Hiatt been this year? In 14 ACC appearances, he is 2-0 with seven saves and an 0.36 ERA. #stud pic.twitter.com/dZCzrHlJzR
— Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) April 30, 2017
Lynn, who hit. 429 for the week and now leads Carolina with a .338 in league games, delivered his third hit of the day on a squib out to second. Clemson's Jordan Greene could not make a play at first and the Tar Heel dugout emptied to mob Lynn and celebrate a third ACC sweep.
The win Sunday puts the Tar Heels five games up on second-place Virginia in the Coastal division with two weekends left in conference play. At 19-5, Carolina is also a half-game up on Louisville (17-4) for the best record in the league.
