Gavin Gallaher once again came up in the clutch, Walker McDuffie and Caden Glauber shut the door after Ryan Lynch was able to pitch even against Maxx Yehl, and the Tar Heels took down West Virginia 5-2 in the Winners’ Bracket of the Men’s College World Series Sunday night.
McDuffie earned the win for his performance, pitching 3 2/3 strong out of the pen, ending a threat against West Virginia in the fifth inning when the score was still tied at two.
The Tar Heels got off to a quick start in the game as starter Ryan Lynch was able to hang a zero at the top of the first, and the in the bottom of the frame Carolina was able to get the bases loaded with one out. While converting runners in scoring position has been problematic for the Tar Heels this postseason, they were able to grind out a crooked number thanks to Erik Paulsen earning a walk, and then Cooper Nicholson grounding it in the infield to score Owen Hull.
West Virginia was able to grind it even over the next couple of innings. They halved the lead in the top of the third and then knotted the score in the top of the fourth. At that point it was pretty clear that Ryan Lynch didn’t have his best stuff on the mound for the Tar Heels, but he was able to grind it out enough to keep the score even. Meanwhile on the other side the Tar Heels would threaten, but Big XII pitcher of the year Yehl settled in and wouldn’t give up any more runs for several more innings.
It wasn’t until the bottom of the seventh that the tide turned. Yehl has consistently gone over 100 pitchers for the Mountaineers this season and he wasn’t going to be pulled with the score so tight. West Virginia would commit two errors to start the bottom of the frame to have men on first and second with one out, and Gavin Gallaher coming to the plate. Gallaher then ripped a pitch deep into the gap of the cavernous centerfield, scoring two. Owen Hull would take advantage of the Mountaineers playing tight infield to lace a ball over the defense, which brought Gallaher home.
West Virginia would get two men on in the top of the ninth but Glauber came in and easily closed the door.
Carolina is now 2-0 in the MCWS and gets to sit back until Wednesday as they await their opponent. West Virginia meanwhile will now have to regroup and face a story book Troy team that won in a shootout against Ole Miss in the Losers’ bracket game earlier in the day.
In the double-elimination format the Tar Heels just have to win once more to make the Championship series.
