“I really missed that adrenaline,” Thornton said of closing. “I was really prepared for that time of the game.”
Thornton came on in the eighth with runners on second and third with no outs. He proceeded to get two strikeouts and a line out to end the threat. In the ninth, he got the Pack 1-2-3 for the save.
Carolina moves on to a Wednesday night game against Florida State while the Wolfpack has to hope that they get an NCAA tournament bid although it’s unlikely.
“It’s a disappointing way to end the season – the regular season,” said NC State coach Elliott Avent, catching himself. “We still think – I won’t say a good possibility but a possibility – but that doesn’t sound strong enough. I won’t say ‘good’ and I won’t say ‘possibility.’ But we know what this team has done the last six weeks, the last 15 games.” He said he hopes the committee rewards them for that.
The possible season-ending loss for State was a controversial one as Pack All-America player Trea Turner appeared to steal home in the fifth inning on a play that would have tied the score. But home plate umpire Mark Chapman called Turner out.
Turner, on third with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth, noticed that UNC catcher Korey Dunbar would look down before throwing the ball back to pitcher Trever Kelley.
As State’s Jake Fincher swung and missed for the second out, Dunbar looked down and threw it back to Kelley. Turner, well down the line, took off for home. Kelley alertly threw back home as soon as he got it and Dunbar put the tag on Turner – but it appeared to be too late.
The steal seemed to surprise the umpire who turned to look at the play, perhaps a tad late. “That was an incredibly courageous play on their part,” UNC coach Mike Fox said. “It was certainly close – the umpire called him out.”
Most observers, especially those in Wolfpack red, thought he was safe. NC State coach Avent argued the call and, while he remained calm during the post-game interview, the anger came back as he was leaving the podium, perhaps for the last time this season. He said in a quiet but firm voice to an ACC representative, “Should I stay a little longer to talk about the call he never saw?,” referring to the umpire.
During the news conference, Avent said, “Mark Chapman is a good umpire. He’s one of the best in our league. He’s a better person than he is an umpire and he’s a good umpire. Is he going to hate this film? Probably. Yeah.”
Turner said he thought he was safe but he didn’t think it demoralized the team. “We were up every inning. That’s the best energy we’ve had all year as a team,” he said. “We knew what was at stake. I don’t think that took anything out of us.”
Of course there are a lot of plays in a game that determines the outcome, some not as memorable. For instance, with the bases loaded and a 3-2 count in the bottom of the fourth, UNC’s Wood Myers took a called third strike that appeared to reporters behind home plate to be a ball inside, which would have added Carolina’s fifth run.
It was actually NC State that got on the board first however as Brett Austin singled to center to score Turner, who led off the game with a triple.
The Tar Heels tied it in the second when Skye Bolt homered over the right center field wall.
But the big inning for the Heels was the third. UNC’s Michael Russell tripled to left center, just over the head of a diving Fincher, to score Dunbar, who earlier singled, to give the Heels their first lead at 2-1. Myers singled to left to score Russell, extending the lead to 3-1. Landon Lassiter doubled down the left field line to put runners on second and third with one out.
Bolt came through with his second RBI on a sacrifice fly to right, giving the Heels a three-run third and a 4-1 lead.
State came right back in the fourth with one out, loading the bases with two singles and a walk. Bubba Riley singled to center to drive in two runs, pulling the Pack to within a run at 4-3.
UNC pitcher Zach Rice came in for struggling starter Reilly Hovis, who had thrown 74 pitches in just over three innings, and he struck out two straight batters to stop the State rally.
The Wolfpack, which left 11 runners on base on the day, appeared to be ready to tie or take the lead in the eighth, which would have set the stage for pitching ace Carlos Rodon to close out the Heels.
A four-pitch walk to Riley from UNC’s fourth pitcher Spencer Traynor, started the inning. A fielding error by UNC’s Russell at short, followed quickly by a throwing error, put State runners on second and third with no outs. That’s when Carolina’s ace came in to shut the Pack down and keep them from getting their ace in the game.
“It could have happened differently,” Avent said. “But I don’t think we could have played any better.”
For his part, Fox said, “It’s special when we get together. A lot happened over the last four hours – a long game. We did just enough to come out with a win.”
A midday crowd of 5,822 saw the Heels improve to 33-23 while the pack falls to 32-23.