N.C. State traveled to Chapel Hill for an important three-game series against UNC Friday night. Despite suffering a loss to UNC in the first game, the Pack rebounded to win game two in a blowout of its own, but was unable to pull out a victory on Sunday.

In game one, the Wolfpack hurt itself with five errors and gave up three runs or more in a single inning three times in the game. Starting pitcher Jake Buchanan, a junior, got the loss, giving up seven runs total, two of which were earned.

The team’s numerous errors and unearned runs cast a shadow over a solid hitting performance against Carolina ace Matt Harvey, one of the best pitchers in the country, according to Pack head coach Elliott Avent.

“It was a typical N.C. State – UNC game,” Avent said.

The Pack roared back into game two, defeating UNC 14-6 in another high-scoring affair. Relief pitcher Grant Sasser provided three and a third scoreless innings, giving up only one hit after his entrance into the game in the sixth inning. His strong performance out of the pen turned a wild scoring spree from both teams into a one-sided victory for State.

Game three on Sunday was played at a much faster pace, as both State pitcher Alex Sogard and UNC pitcher Chris Munnelly managed to keep both teams scoreless until Wolfpack shortstop Matt Bergquist broke the tie with a single that drove in Chris Schaeffer in the fifth inning.

UNC answered the Pack’s score with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, with one of their runs coming on a controversial balk call by home plate umpire Scott Cline.

“That was the first time I’ve ever seen a balk called with runners on second and third,” Avent said. “But [Cline] is a good umpire, a real good umpire, and he thought the balk was blatant.”

Bergquist said he wasn’t looking at the time of the play, so he had to rely on his teammates’ takes on what happened.

“You always believe your teammate and [pitcher Anthony Tzamtzis] said he didn’t, so we believe him,” Bergquist added.

The Pack responded to the change in the lead with two runs of its own to retake a narrow 3-2 lead in the top of the seventh inning. Dallas Poulk’s double scored Tarran Senay and put Kyle Wilson on third. He scored on a ground out by Drew Poulk on the very next at bat.

“If not for [UNC shortstop] Graepel making a great play there, Drew would have had a single there and we could have kept the rally going,” Avent said.

In the bottom of the seventh, State fell victim to the proverbial “big inning.” After giving up a leadoff triple, it appeared reliever Anthony Tzamatzis would pitch his way out of the jam after getting two outs with the runner still stuck at third. It was then that the wheels came off and UNC began a two-out rally that would end with six runs. After adding another run in the eighth, it looked as though the Tar Heels were well on their way to an easy 9-3 win.

But the Wolfpack did not go quietly, scoring three runs to cut the lead to three runs in a wild ninth inning comeback bid. State managed to get the tying run to the plate with two men on base before the rally finally came to an end.

Despite the loss, Avent was upbeat regarding the team’s performance.

“We coaches have to coach better,” Avent said. “The players played well.”