UNC's Vance Honeycutt Hits Walk-Off Home Run in Super Regionals
Tar Heels Advance to College World Series
Raleigh, N.C. --
Vance Honeycutt delivered a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift No. 1 North Carolina to a 4-3 victory over No. 10 Georgia Tech on Sunday afternoon in the championship game of the Chapel Hill Super Regional.
With the win, the Tar Heels (50-12) advance to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, for the 16th time in program history.
Honeycutt's home run came on a 2-2 pitch from Georgia Tech reliever Chandler Simpson. The ball sailed over the left-field wall and gave the Tar Heels their first walk-off win of the season.
"It was an amazing feeling," Honeycutt said. "I knew we needed a big hit, and I was just trying to put a good swing on it. It feels great to help my team get to Omaha."
The Tar Heels took an early lead in the game, scoring two runs in the first inning on a double by Angel Zarate. But Georgia Tech (40-24) rallied to tie the game in the third inning on a two-run home run by Bryce Hamilton.
The game remained tied until the 11th inning, when North Carolina loaded the bases with one out. Honeycutt then came to the plate and delivered the game-winning hit.
"Vance is a special player," UNC coach Scott Forbes said. "He's come up big for us all year long. We're lucky to have him."
The Tar Heels will open the College World Series on Saturday, June 17, against the winner of the Stanford-Arizona State super regional.
Conclusion
Vance Honeycutt's walk-off home run was a fitting end to a thrilling super regional series. The Tar Heels showed their resilience and determination by coming back from behind to win the game. They will now head to Omaha with a chance to win their first national championship since 2013.
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