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LSU keeps season alive, forces winner-take-all vs. UNC with clutch pitching performance

By Paul Harvey

Published: Jun 2, 2024 · 9:47 PM EDT

LSU and North Carolina produced an electric and drama-filled matchup Saturday night in the Chapel Hill Regional. The Tar Heels won that game to advance to the regional finals, but the Tigers would need a Sunday afternoon win against Wofford to schedule the rematch.

LSU handled that elimination game and rolled into Sunday night’s rematch, hungry to force one final game for the regional on Monday. A 2-run home run would give the Tigers an immediate lead in the bottom of the 1st inning, but the rest of the game would largely be dominated by LSU’s pitching staff.

Thatcher Hurd got the start and was able to cover 5.2 innings for the Tigers while limiting UNC to just 2 earned runs. He set the tone for 4 LSU relievers to follow behind and deliver some strikeouts in big-time moments.

On the other side of the matchup, UNC was unable to generate the long ball or deliver a big hit in a key moment. As a result, the Tar Heels finished the game 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position as LSU took the game 8-4.

RELATED: LSU’s bid for back-to-back national championships currently rests on a do-or-die game on Monday. Track the latest odds and trends and get in on the action with SDS’s Louisiana online sports betting apps.

Here are the key moments and stats from Sunday’s game:

Key moments

The 4th inning represented the biggest offensive inning for the Tigers, and it jumpstarted LSU’s bats after being held to 2 runs in the first matchup against the Tar Heels.

After UNC cut the lead to 3-1, the Tigers immediately jumped all over UNC with a single and 2 walks loading the bases with no outs. The Tar Heels turned to Connor Bovair out of the bullpen, and he did his best to limit the damage, but there was only so much he could do.

Tommy White laced an RBI single to start the scoring with LSU runners going station-to-station before Steven Milam drove in 2 with another run-scoring single. LSU would tack on one final run on a double play to make it 7-1 coming out of the 4th.

MONSTER 2-RBI SINGLE

UNC – 1
LSU – 6
ESPNU pic.twitter.com/3lpwvKuo6b

— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) June 2, 2024

The top of the 6th inning would provide the next key turn in the game with UNC now down 8-1. Parks Harber would double and score on a passed ball and wild pitch, and back-to-back singles plus a walk would load the bases for Gavin Gallaher, the hero of Friday’s dramatic walk-off.

LSU turned to Fidel Ulloa out of the bullpen, and Gallaher was able to force a full count. However, he would ultimately go down swinging, stranding 3 runners with Ulloa keeping the score at 8-2.

The top of the 8th would present another great opportunity for the Tar Heels to do damage, but LSU’s pitching was up to the task once again. With 2 runners on and Vance Honeycutt trotting to the plate, the Tigers called on Gavin Guidry to put out the fire.

The battle was a good one, but Guidry would eventually strikeout Honeycutt looking to keep the score at 8-4 as the Tar Heels stranded 2 more base runners.

GAVIN. GUIDRY. @GavinGuidry5 | ESPNU pic.twitter.com/R8EYCul0nc

— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) June 3, 2024

To no surprise, the 9th inning would not come easily for LSU. The Tar Heels would load the bases with 1 out, bringing the tying run to the plate. However, Guidry buckled down with a strikeout of Luke Stevenson. Gavin Gallaher would put a charge into a 2-0 offering with 2 outs, but his fly was collected short of the fence in left to end the game.

TIGERS WIN! TIGERS WIN! pic.twitter.com/YV51SBP26v

— LSU Baseball (@LSUbaseball) June 3, 2024

Key stats

Honeycutt, the hero of Saturday’s game for UNC with 2 home runs, was held in check with an 0-for-5 night at the plate. He was struck out 3 times with LSU pitching setting the tone early.

LSU offensively was led by home runs from Josh Pearson and Hayden Travinski with Pearson and Milam each driving in 2 runs in the win. Travinski led the Tigers with 2 runs scored.

The theme of this game ultimately came down to timely pitching by LSU and North Carolina’s men left on base. The Tar Heels did not hit a home run, but they did have their chances to make things interesting throughout the game.

In the end, 5 LSU pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts as UNC left 12 men on base.

What’s next?

LSU and UNC have produced 2 elite matchups in the regional thus far, and it’s only fitting the Chapel Hill Regional comes down to a winner-take-all game on Monday. The winner on Monday will advance into the Super Regionals against the winner of the Tucson Regional.

Main image via LSU baseball (@LSUbaseball) on X (formerly Twitter).

Paul Harvey

Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.