Key facts
- North Carolina defeated West Virginia 5-2 in the College World Series.
- Gavin Gallaher's two-run triple in the seventh inning broke a 2-2 tie.
- North Carolina has won its first two games in the College World Series.
- The Tar Heels are one win away from reaching the finals.
- Caden Glauber secured the save with two strikeouts in the ninth inning.
North Carolina took a significant step toward the College World Series finals with a 5-2 victory over West Virginia on Sunday night. The decisive moment came in the seventh inning when Gavin Gallaher lined a two-run triple into the gap in right-center, breaking a 2-2 tie. Owen Hull followed with an RBI base hit to extend the lead.
The Tar Heels (52-12-1) have now won their first two games in the College World Series for the first time since 2006 and need just one more win to secure a spot in the best-of-three finals next weekend. They will have a few days off before facing the winner of Tuesday's elimination game between West Virginia (46-16) and Troy.
West Virginia's Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, Maxx Yehl, gave up three unearned runs in the seventh inning after errors by third baseman Tyrus Hall and second baseman Brodie Kresser allowed runners to reach base. Country music star Eric Church was in attendance, cheering on the Tar Heels.
Earlier in the game, North Carolina coach Scott Forbes reportedly called a team meeting in the dugout, encouraging his players to "play looser and have more fun." The team responded positively, particularly in the seventh inning.
In the ninth inning, North Carolina reliever Caden Glauber came in to close out the game. After a walk and a single put the potential tying run at the plate with one out, Glauber struck out Ben Lumsden and Tyrus Hall to earn his fifth save.