Miami salvages final game of series at North Carolina with ninth inning rally

Daniel Cuvet hit a two-run single with the bases loaded and the third runner scored on a throwing error as Miami broke a 1-1 tie to go in front 4-1 in the top of the ninth and earn a 4-2 win in Chapel Hill on Sunday. North Carolina had the tying run at the plate in the ninth inning, but Kane Kepley grounded out to end the game.

North Carolina took the lead in the first inning when a Hunter Stokely groundout scored Kepley. Kepley reached base when he was hit by an AJ Ciscar pitch to lead off the game for North Carolina. North Carolina held the 1-0 lead through five innings. Miami tied the game in the sixth.

Derek Williams singled to lead off the sixth inning for Miami. Williams advanced to second on a wild pitch, to third on a ground out and scored on another wild pitch to tie the game at one. The score remained tied at one until the top of the ninth inning.

With one out in the top of the ninth inning Michael Torres walked. Jake Ogden singled with Torres taking third. Fabio Peralta had an infield single with Ogden taking second and Torres remaining at third to set up the heroics for Cuvet.

Ciscar started and pitched 4.0 innings and allowed one unearned run on two hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Former Friday night starter Nick Robert allowed one hit and walked two in 0.2 innings. Alex Giroux pitched the final 4.1 innings, allowing one earned run on two hits with no walks and two strikeouts to improve to 3-1.

North Carolina used five pitchers, with Walker McDuffie taking the loss. Miami returns home to host Florida International on Wednesday before playing a three-game series at Pittsburgh next weekend. FIU is playing at Middle Tennessee State on Sunday. Pittsburgh lost two out of three at Boston College this weekend.