Heels let opportunity slip

North Carolina has only had one two-game losing streak this year and now is not the time for another one.

One more loss and the Tar Heels' baseball season is over.

Against Fresno State, Carolina couldn't put hits together in bunches. The Heels won't win a  home run derby but they thrive on putting hits together in bunches. That didn't happen against the Bulldogs.

Their biggest inning was the three-run fourth. Another big opportunity came in the fifth. Dustin Ackley led off with a single...Kyle Shelton was hit by a pitch....Tim Fedroff grounded out to first...bases loaded with one out and the Heels couldn't get that big  momentum swing.

Carolina's offense never got dust on the plate the rest of the night.

Fresno State came back with two in the home half of the inning on a two-RBI single from Alan Ahmady. Both teams left runners on base in double-digit fashion. UNC stranded 10. Fresno State left 12.

A win over Fresno State would have moved Carolina into Friday's undefeated bracket. The Heels would have played the winner of Thursday's LSU-Fresno State game. But that's Omaha dust in the wind now. Carolina has to play Thursday night - against the team it beat in the opening round, the team that scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth to eliminate Rice on Tuesday.

Playing LSU would have been better for the Heels on Friday after the Tigers would have played Thursday night.

The hill grows steeper but Carolina has climbed from the losers bracket to reach the championship series before. Freshman Matt Harvey will try to cage the Tigers and Mike Fox hopes his team plays the game just a little bit sharper that they did against Fresno State.