Hurricanes Turn Back Wolfpack, 4-2, in Thursday Finale

The Hurricanes (38-18) still have a Pool D game remaining Friday at 3 p.m. versus fifth-seeded Duke (34-21), but that game will have no bearing on the bracket for Saturday’s scheduled 1 p.m. semifinal. Regardless of the outcome versus the Blue Devils, Miami has clinched the spot opposite top-seeded Wake Forest (46-9).

Wake Forest (Pool A) and North Carolina (Pool B) also earned semifinal berths on Friday. Third-seeded Clemson faces sixth-seeded Boston College on Friday at 11 a.m., with the winner claiming the fourth semifinal spot as the winner of Pool C.

NC State (35-19) has wrapped up ACC Championship play but remains hopeful of earning an NCAA Tournament spot as it waits for this year’s field to be unveiled at noon on Monday.

Miami wasted little time getting on the scoreboard Thursday night, as leadoff hitter CJ Kayfus worked NC State starter Sam Highfill for a walk and Edgardo Villegas followed with his sixth home run of the season to put the Hurricanes up 2-0.

The home run was the 107th of the 2023 campaign for this Miami squad, good for sole possession of second place on the program’s all-time single-season list.

The Wolfpack counterpunched quickly in the bottom of the first. LuJames Groover III and Cannon Peebles reached via back-to-back one-out singles, and both eventually scored on Eli Serrano III’s two-out base hit to left.

Miami regained the lead in the top of the fourth, as Dominic Pitelli led off with a double and scored on Renzo Gonzalez’s base hit to right-center to make it 3-2.

With both teams frustrated by stranded baserunners and missed opportunities, neither team scored again until the Hurricanes pushed an insurance run across on a bases-loaded wild pitch in the top of the eighth.

Clinging to a one-run lead with two out in the seventh inning, Miami head coach Gino DiMare turned to All-ACC first-team closer Andrew Walters and stayed with him the remainder of the game. Walters allowed just one hit during his 2.1-inning stint while earning his 10th save of the season and the 24th of his collegiate career.

The teams left a combined 23 runners on base (Miami 13, NC State 10). Highfill (6-3) took the loss for the Wolfpack, while Rafe Schlesinger (3-1) picked up the win for the Hurricanes.