From wire and staff reports
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Alex Madera drove in the go-ahead run in the 10th inning with a two-out single after No. 4 national seed North Carolina hadtied the game inthe ninth and the Tar Heelsbeat LSU, 4-3, on Monday night, winning the Chapel Hill Regional and knocking the defending-champion Tigers out of the NCAA Tournament.
North Carolina (45-14) will play West Virginia in a best-of-three super regional matchup beginning Friday or Saturday in Chapel Hill.
"I feel like we had some of that Bosh magic tonight," UNC head coach Scott Forbes said. "A lot of that was our crowd, when Alex Madera got that hit, that might've been the loudest I've ever heard by Boshamer Stadium."
Samuel Dutton was replaced after surrendering three straight singles to begin the game in a start for LSU (43-23). Javen Coleman entered and walked Anthony Donofrio to force in a run. The Tar Heels scored another run on a double play for a 2-0 lead.
Tommy White greeted North Carolina freshman starter Jason DeCaro with a single to lead off the bottom of the first. Jared Jones was hit by a pitch with one out and both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch. White scored on a groundout by Josh Pearson, but DeCaro retired Michael Braswell III on a fly ball to center field to escape without any further damage.
LSU went to its third pitcher — Will Hellmers — just one out into the second inning after Coleman walked Alex Madera and hit No. 9 batter Colby Wilkerson. Hellmers struck out Vance Honeycutt on three pitches before walking Casey Cook on four pitches to load the bases. Parks Harber flied out to the warning track in left center to end the threat.
Matthew Matthijs replaced DeCaro to begin the third and surrendered the lead on a two-out solo home run to right center by Jared Jones. It was the only run Matthijs allowed in 4 1/3 innings of work.
Hellmers retired 12 straight batters after a lead-off single by Donofrio in the third inning. Alex Madera led off the seventh with a single to end the streak but Hellmers retired the next three batters. He walked the lead-off batter to start the eighth and was replaced by Nate Ackenhausen, who struck out the side.
Tigers starter Gage Jump (6-2) made his second relief appearance of the season to begin the ninth and promptly surrendered a double to Gavin Gallaher. Madera struck out on a two-strike bunt that stayed fair for 89 feet for the first out, but Wilkerson sent a flare into left field on a 2-2 pitch to tie the game. Honeycutt, who homered twice in the Tar Heels' 6-2 win over LSU on Saturday, followed with a walk but the rally ended there.
Matthijs and fellow reliever Dalton Pence (4-1) set down 15 Tigers in a row until Pence walked Jones on four straight pitches with two outs in the eighth. Pence issued a two-out walk to Jones in the 10th and Jones took second on a wild pitch, but Honeycutt chased down Josh Pearson's fly ball to right for the final out.
"Dalton's a horse," Forbes said. "Yesterday's game, we had a plan and unless it got really close, we didn't want to use certain guys. We felt like they could lengthen out because they've worked so hard and that's a credit to coach Bryant Gaines, for managing the pitching staff so well all year so you can have a guy like DeCaro come back and throw off 60 pitches and then Matthew Matthijs and Dalton Pence."
LSU forced a deciding game with an 8-4 victory over North Carolina on Sunday.
2024 Chapel Hill Regional All-Tournament Team
Catcher - Alex Milazzo, LSU
First Base - Jared Jones, LSU
Second Base - Steven Milam, LSU
Third Base - Gavin Gallaher, UNC (Most Outstanding Player)
Shortstop - Michael Braswell III, LSU
Left Field - Josh Pearson, LSU
Center Field - Andrew Mannelly, Wofford
Right Field - Anthony Donofrio, UNC
Designated Hitter - Alberto Osuna, UNC
Pitcher - Griffin Herring, LSU
Pitcher - Dalton Pence, UNC
