Whew, that was close.
Imagine the University of Miami, the consensus No. 1 team in the nation, losing to North Florida.
That is right, the Ospreys, who not only showed up at Mark Light Field in fourth place in the Atlantic Coast Conference, but started Jonathan Turner, who had a 7.26 ERA.
It was unimaginable to UM coach Jim Morris. Morris can get some sleep because of a two-run homer from Yonder Alonso in the fifth inning and wild three-run seventh as the Hurricanes came back to beat the Ospreys 5-2.
Morris needs all the rest he can get before Thursday, when No. 2 North Carolina shows up with the best pitching staff in the nation for the final three-game series of the regular season.
''We need to start swinging the bats,'' Morris said. ``We haven't been swinging the bats for the past two, three weeks. We were so hot earlier in the season. The way we were swinging the bats then, we could have beaten the Yankees. We need to get back to that.
``I think we'll be ready [Thursday]. . . . It's No. 1 and No. 2. It's a national TV audience, sellout crowds -- it's everything you want.''
It would have been easy for the Hurricanes (42-6) to look ahead.
''I don't think we were looking ahead,'' said UM second baseman Jemile Weeks, who had two doubles. ``We just haven't been hitting lately.''
The Tar Heels, who lead the nation with a 2.30 ERA, might want to pay attention to the way Turner pitched against the Hurricanes -- at least early.
Turner was sailing along with a three-hit shutout and had two outs and a 1-0 lead in the fifth when Weeks hit his second double.
Yonder Alonso followed with his 16th home run of the season to give UM a 2-1 lead.
'I got back in the dugout and said, `Whew, thank God, we got the lead,' '' said Alonso, whose shot hit high off the light post in right field, about even with the third level of the parking garage.
''We weren't panicking,'' he said. ``We knew we would get it done. We're OK. He wasn't throwing many fastballs and I was saying we have to make an adjustment.
``I told Weeks it's up to me and you to get it started.''
They did. The Hurricanes added three in the seventh after Dave DiNatali led off with a triple and scored on Blake Tekotte's singe. After Alonso was intentionally walked, Mark Sobolewski had an RBI single.
Alonso scored from second base on a wild pitch that got by catcher Michael Gropper.
''That home run by Yonder was big,'' Morris said. ``But he has been doing that all year, and once we get a lead and get to our bullpen, we feel pretty good.''
UM needed three pitchers in the seventh and five for the game to put away the Ospreys (27-25). Morris had to go to his setup man, Kyle Bellamy, with two runners on base and one out in the seventh. Bellamy retired the next five batters on just 16 pitches, with two strikeouts, before Morris went to closer Carlos Gutierrez in the ninth.
Gutierrez gave up a run in the ninth and earned his 11th save by getting Gropper to ground out with two runners on base. The victory went to Gutierrez's brother, David, who made his fifth start of the season. David Gutierrez gave up one run and three hits in six innings.
''I'll sleep just fine until then,'' Morris joked. ``I've been coaching 32 years.
``Call me when it's the World Series. That's when I might lose a little sleep.''
That is the idea for a UM team that hasn't lost a series all season. North Carolina hasn't lost one, either.
''It's going to be a great series,'' Morris said. ``This is what you come to Miami for.''
