Florida Atlantic came up with six runs, including a two-out grand slam, in the ninth to take an 8-6 lead. The Tar Heels tied it in the bottom of the ninth. A three-run homer by FAU put the visitors up 11-8 in the 12th. But the Tar Heels scratched across three in the bottom of the 12th to tie it at 11. A play at the plate kept the Heels from winning it then.
Florida Atlantic stranded a runner at third in the top of the 13th. After a controversial out call at first where replays showed the Tar Heel was safe to start the bottom of the 13th, a single, a walk and a hit batter loaded the bases.
UNC’s Cody Stubbs singled off the left field chalk to score Landon Lassiter with the winning run and a 12-11 victory that sends the Heels into the super regional against South Carolina.
“All these guys care about is winning and they found a way to get it done,” said UNC pitching coach Scott Forbes.
The win came barely a week after North Carolina needed 18 innings to beat rival North Carolina State in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. On this night, the Tar Heels used six pitchers — including regional-game starters Kent Emanuel, Benton Moss and Hobbs Johnson — before reliever Reilly Hovis (4-0) earned the win by striking out Rocklein to end the top of the 13th.
The Tar Heels, 55-9, started the year 39-2 and won the ACC tournament title, but barely avoided suffering consecutive losses for the first time all season. Florida Atlantic edged North Carolina 3-2 on Sunday to force Monday night’s decisive game.
Reliever Michael Sylvestri (4-3) took the loss after allowing three hits and the winning run in 1 1/3 innings.
The game was delayed for two hours due to heavy rain and didn’t wrap up until after 1 a.m. Tuesday.