CHAPEL HILL, N.C – No. 29 Coastal Carolina battled the No. 21/24 North Carolina Tar Heels to the end on Friday night, as the Chanticleers held a 3-2 lead in the ninth inning and were two outs away from picking up the road win before the Tar Heels strung together four base hits in the bottom of the ninth to score two runs and escape with a 4-3 walk-off win at Boshamer Stadium.
 
The loss is the second straight for the Chants who are now 7-3 on the year. With the win, North Carolina improved to 9-1 on the year and 8-0 at home this season.
 
Third baseman Dale Thomas (2-for-4, HR, RBI, run) led the Chants with two base hits, including a solo home run, while second baseman Matt McDermott (1-for-4, RBI) drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning on a bunt single.
 
Lead-off hitter Austin White (1-for-4, run) had one hit and scored a run, while outfielder Billy Underwood (1-for-3, 2B, BB, run) also had a base hit and scored a run. Shortstop Eric Brown (0-for-3, SF, RBI) drove in an RBI on a sacrifice fly but had his eight-game hitting streak snapped in the loss.
 
The Tar Heels were led by Alberto Osuna (2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBIs, 2 runs), Hunter Stokely (2-for-4, RBI), and Angel Zarate (2-for-5, 2B) who all had two base hits on the night, while Johnny Castagnozzi (1-for-3, RBI) drove in the game-tying run and Mac Horvath (1-for-4, BB, RBI) plated the game-winning run in the win.
 
CCU starter Nick Parker did not factor in the decision despite allowing just two runs on eight hits, no walks, and six strikeouts over 5.0-complete innings. The loss fell to reliever Jack Billings (0-2), as the righty pitched a clean eighth inning before giving up two runs on four hits in the ninth.
 
Like CCU, UNC's starter Brandon Schaeffer did not factor in the decision despite going 6.1 innings, allowing three runs, two of which were earned, on five hits, one walk, and seven strikeouts.
 
Picking up the win was Kyle Mott (2-0), as the righty surrendered just one hit and walked one while striking out five hitters over 2.2-scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
 
The Coastal offense got things going early, as White and Thomas led off the game with back-to-back singles and then moved up 90-feet on a fielder's choice sacrifice bunt by Nick Lucky to load the bases with no outs in the top of the first inning.
 
Brown just missed a grand slam, hitting the ball to the wall in right-center field to score White from third on a sacrifice fly to put the visitors in front 1-0 early. However, a base running error on the play and a ground out would end the inning with the Chants plating just one run in the frame.
 
The Chants added to their lead in the top of the third inning on a monster solo home run off the video board in left-center field by Thomas, his third home run of the season, to take a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the third inning.
 
Parker pitched in-and-out of trouble over the first three innings, as he left the bases stranded in the first inning, stranded another runner in the second, and left two more Tar Heels on base in the third inning to keep the Chants in front 2-0 after three innings of play.
 
However, in the bottom of the fourth, the North Carolina offense broke through, as the Tar Heels strung together three base hits to get on the board and cut the Coastal lead to one at 2-1.
 
In the same inning, UNC loaded the bases only to see Parker field a comebacker on the mound and make the toss to first base to strand three more Tar Heel runners and keep the Chants on top by one run.
 
After the Chanticleers went down in order in the top of the fifth, the Tar Heels put together back-to-back two-out base hits, a double followed by an RBI-single, to tie the game up at 2-2 heading into the sixth inning.
 
Coastal broke the tie in the top of the seventh, as Underwood laced a one-out hit into the right-center field gap and took advantage of a bobble in the outfield on the play to race all the way around to third.
 
Following a walk to pinch-hitter Cooper Weiss, McDermott got the signal from the dugout to lay down a squeeze bunt, which he placed perfectly down the first-base line to score a sprinting Underwood from third base to give the Chants back the lead at 3-2.
 
With a 3-2 lead in the ninth, the Tar Heels started a rally with back-to-back one-out singles. The next hitter, Castagnozzi, lined a single up the middle just past a diving Brown at shortstop to tie the game up at 3-3.
 
The very next UNC hitter, Horvath, then hit a single off the end of the bat just over the head of the shortstop to score the game-winning run from second and send the home team to a 4-3 walk-off win.
 
The Tar Heels stranded 11 guys on base and made one error, while the Chants left six runners on base and did not make an error in the field.
 
Coastal (7-3) and No. 21/24 North Carolina (9-1) will play game two of the three-game weekend series tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET.
 
For complete coverage of CCU baseball, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalBaseball (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @GoCCUsports (Instagram), or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at www.GoCCUsports.com.