CARY, N.C. - Third-ranked North Carolina pushed across a run without the benefit of a hit in the bottom of the 11^th inning to escape with a 6-5 victory over Virginia Tech in an ACC matchup Saturday afternoon at USA Baseball Training Stadium.

The Tar Heels' game-deciding inning began with a ground out to second base by relief pitcher Alex White, who had entered the game in the eighth inning. Tech reliever Rhett Ballard (High Point, N.C.) then issued a one-out walk to UNC first baseman Dustin Ackley. A throwing error by Ballard on a pick-off attempt moved Ackley to second base. He took third when Ballard tossed a wild pitch in the process of intentionally walking catcher Tim Federowicz, who had already produced seven RBIs in the series. North Carolina second baseman Kyle Seager ended the see-saw battle by lifting a sacrifice fly to left field.

The win improved UNC's season mark to 13-3 and its ACC record to 4-1. Tech is now 7-10 on the season with a 0-5 conference mark.

Both teams had chances to decide the game in the ninth inning. The Hokies got a runner to second with one out in the top of the ninth and ended the frame with the runner stranded at third. UNC, meanwhile, loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the inning. With a 3-0 count on Federowicz, Ballard got the UNC backstop to ground the ball to third, resulting in an out at the plate. The next Tar Heel batter lined to second to end the inning.

White and fellow reliever Colin Bates combined for seven innings of scoreless relief in the win. Bates came in with Tech ahead 5-3 and held the Hokies to two hits in 3.2 innings. White took over with two outs and two runners on in the eighth and got out of the jam with a strikeout. He picked up his third win against one loss with 3.1 shutout innings.

Tech got three hits from senior left fielder Jose Cueto (Miami, Fla.), including a single to open the top of the 11^th. Cueto, who was erased by a double play that inning, drove in three of the Hokies' five runs. Freshman designated hitter Austin Wates (Richmond, Va.) had two hits and stole a base for Tech.

After hitting seven doubles in a win over the Hokies on Friday, the Tar Heels started off things in game two with a one-out, first-inning two-bagger by Kyle Shelton. Shelton came around to score the first UNC run of the game on a two-out single by Federowicz, who had six RBIs on Friday.

Tech took advantage of a pair of UNC errors in the top of the second to take a 3-1 lead. Wates reached on a throwing error by the hosts. Shortstop Ty Hohman (Tomball, Texas) followed with a sacrifice bunt and was safe at first on another error. Wates moved to second on the bunt, but was thrown out trying to advance to third on the error. After third baseman Michael Seaborn (Atlanta, Ga.) was hit by a pitch, Cueto stepped in and crushed a triple off the wall in left center field, scoring both base runners. A perfect sacrifice squeeze bunt by second baseman Matt Hacker (Richmond, Va.) got Cueto home with the third run of the inning.

The Tar Heels got one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning when center fielder Seth Williams led off with a double and eventually scored on a groundout. UNC knotted the score on a two-out, RBI-double down the right field line by Seager in the third.

The lead swayed back in favor of the Hokies in the top of the fourth inning. Wates led off with a single, moved to second on Hohman's second sac bunt of the day and took third on a long flyout by Seaborn. Cueto then surprised the Tar Heels with a two-out bunt single that scored Wates. Cueto advanced to third on a single by Hacker and trotted home on the play when a throw from the first baseman sailed wide of third base.

Hokies' starting pitcher Sean McDermott (Walpole, Mass.) left the game after allowing a lead-off double to Seager to begin the sixth inning. Reliever David Cross (Scottsdale, Ariz.) walked the first man he faced, and following a sacrifice bunt, was touched for a two-run single by UNC third baseman Chad Flack that tied the game at 5-5.

Ballard took the loss for the Hokies, falling to 1-2 on the season.

The two teams are slated to finish up their three-game series on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.