UNC hits 5 HRs in 16-1 rout of Liberty in NCAA tourney

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Ashton McGee drove in four runs, and North Carolina hit five home runs in a 16-1 rout of Liberty on Saturday to advance to the championship round of its NCAA Tournament regional.

McGee hit a two-run shot in the sixth inning and Michael Busch, Aaron Sabato, Dylan Harris and Brandon Martorano also homered for the top-seeded Tar Heels (44-17). They will play the Liberty-Tennessee winner needing only one victory to advance to a best-of-three super regional series.

North Carolina led 2-0 in the fifth inning before pulling away, scoring multiple runs in each of its final four at-bats. Seven Tar Heels pitchers combined on a six-hitter, with winning pitcher Hansen Butler (5-0) working two-thirds of an inning in relief.

Trey McDyre hit a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the ninth for the third-seeded Flames (43-20), who opened with a victory over Tennessee in a game that ended early Saturday.