This time pitching rules as Canes prevail against No. 15 North Carolina
There was magic in the air.
One night before Saint Patrick’s Day, the Miami Hurricanes struck gold.
After run-ruling No. 15 North Carolina Friday, Miami just needed two swings of the bat to beat the Tar Heels Saturday.
Junior second baseman Dorian Gonzalez Jr. delivered a walk-off home run in the ninth inning to lift the Hurricanes to a 2-1 victory at Mark Light Field.
“Finding different ways to win is the mark of a good team,” head coach J.D. Arteaga said.“Today, Rafe [Schlesinger] did an outstanding job on the mound. He gave us seven strong innings. We hit some balls hard early in the game and it came down to two huge swings from Jason [Torres] to tie the game and Dorian, obviously, in the ninth to win.”
Gonzalez’s game-winning blast marked Miami’s seventh come-from-behind win and its second walk-off victory this season.
“We’re are a gritty team,” Gonzalez Jr. said. “When teams come in here and have the lead, they should never feel safe. We’ve shown that we can come back and fight. We’re always up for the challenge.”
The Hurricanes (11-7, 4-1 ACC) will look to complete the sweep over the Tar Heels (16-4, 3-2 ACC) Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
