Top-seeded Florida (42-20) overcame a 2-0 deficit with five runs in the sixth inning to upend second-seeded North Carolina (41-18-1) in an NCAA Regional winner’s bracket game at McKethan Stadium on Saturday night. The Tar Heels next face Notre Dame (37-23-1) in an elimination game tomorrow at 2 p.m., while the Gators await that contest’s winner at 6 p.m. UF needs one more win to advance to next weekend’s NCAA Super Regional.

Senior Tommy Boss (Dunnellon, Fla.) tossed his third career complete game for Florida, limiting UNC to three hits, and totaled six strikeouts to improve to 7-4 on the campaign. The right-hander went the distance for the first time since clinching Florida’s first-ever berth in NCAA Super Regionals with an 11-0 shutout of UCLA on June 6, 2004.

Florida put two runners aboard against sophomore Andrew Miller in the bottom of the third but senior Jeff Corsaletti (Port Charlotte, Fla.) grounded into an inning-ending double play. Sophomore Gavin Dickey (Tallahassee, Fla.) and freshman Jared Kubin (Oakton, Va.) were both hit by pitches before Corsaletti grounded to freshman third baseman Chad Flack, who stepped on the bag and threw over to first to end the inning.

Boss retired the first nine Tar Heels he faced before senior Greg Mangum drew a walk to lead off the fourth. A sacrifice by senior Justin Webb advanced Mangum into scoring position and a grounder by sophomore Matt Ellington enabled the runner to reach third. Flack stepped to the plate and launched his team-leading 15th homer into the left-field bleachers to help UNC draw first blood.

Sending nine batters to the plate, the Gators erupted for five runs on four hits in the sixth to seize a 5-2 lead. Junior Justin Tordi (Orlando, Fla.) walked to start the inning and Kubin followed with a hard single through the right side of the infield. Corsaletti slapped a base-hit to fill the sacks with none out and sacrifice fly to the warning track in right by sophomore Adam Davis (Fort Myers, Fla.) cut the Heels’ lead in half. LaPorta was hit by a pitch from Miller to re-load the bases and sophomore Brian Jeroloman (Wellington, Fla.) deposited an RBI single into center field to tie the game. Freshman Brandon McArthur (Seffner, Fla.) moved the Gators ahead with a groundout and sophomore Brian Leclerc (Clearwater, Fla.) poked a two-run single up the middle for the three-run margin.

Jeroloman finished 2-for-4 for the Gators, which managed five hits off Miller (8-4). The Gainesville product registered eight K, walked two batters and hit three UF players. Three different Carolina players accounted for its offense. The six-run fifth marked the 20th time this year that Pat McMahon’s club scored five or more runs in a frame.

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