On a night windy enough to cancel the postgame fireworks show at Boshamer Stadium, JB Bukauskas made sure fans wouldn’t go home empty-handed.
The hard-throwing sophomore from Ashburn, Virginia struck out a career-high 13 hitters Saturday night in No. 13 UNC’s 4-1 win over the Virginia Tech Hokies.
Bukauskas now has a 5-1 individual record and lifts the Tar Heels to 23-8 (8-6 ACC) in 2016. His performance comes on the heels of Zac Gallen’s complete game masterpiece on Friday–which also included 13 strikeouts.
Bukauskas carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, and recorded nine straight outs by picking up strike three at one point. (Joe Bray/ UNC Athletics)
Unlike Gallen though, Bukauskas only had 7 1/3 innings to reach the mark as his night was ended prematurely.
Virginia Tech shortstop Ryan Tufts broke up Bukauskas’ no-hitter in the sixth with a single, before ending the shutout with a solo homer in the eighth–the only offense registered against the righty all night.
Tufts’ 2-for-3 effort at the plate also represented half of the Hokies’ four hits in the game–but it wasn’t enough to keep his team from losing its 17th straight game and falling to 10-22 (1-13 ACC).
Often labeled as a guy who just rears back and lets his 97 mph fastball do the talking, Bukauskas’ improvement as a pitcher in his second year–he’s allowed more than two runs just twice this season–has largely been attributed to the development of a slider that touches 88 mph and is absolutely filthy.
Gallen–one of the team’s two captains–has also taken Bukauskas on as sort of an apprentice this season.
“He’s become one of my better friends on the team,” Bukauskas said of Gallen. “Just watching him, how he throws that cutter, then works in to his slider sometimes–I took a little note out of his book with that one, throwing it harder.
“We throw bullpens together so we’re always right there with each other–working on things together and learning from each other.”
He then paused before saying, “Well mostly, me [learning] from him, but yeah, I’d say there’s a little competition just because [we’re the Friday, Saturday guys.]”
At one point during the game, from the fourth through sixth innings, Bukauskas recorded nine consecutive outs by picking up strike three. He also retired 12 straight Hokies after walking the first batter of the game.
“That’s hard to do against anybody,” UNC head coach Mike Fox said when reminded of Bukauskas’ achievements. “I was keeping track of it a little just taking notes on what their hitters were doing, but yeah that’s hard to do. He was good tonight, lots of swings and misses.”
Fox paused for a second. “What else can I say?”
UNC freshman catcher Cody Roberts had an RBI single in the fourth inning to open scoring against Virginia Tech starter Jon Woodcock–before a sacrifice fly from shortstop Logan Warmoth doubled that lead in the fifth.
Eli Sutherland accounted for half of UNC’s runs with this swing of the bat in the seventh inning. (Joe Bray/ UNC Athletics)
Eli Sutherland finally ended the night for Woodcock in the seventh with a two-run single hit hard to right field, but the Hokies made it interesting once Bukauskas was done for the night.
With the bases loaded and just one out following Tufts’ eighth-inning homer, Tar Heel reliever Brett Daniels forced an inning-ending double play to escape the jam.
After Daniels allowed back-to-back singles to start the ninth, UNC turned to junior AJ Bogucki to pick up the save. Bogucki then recorded a fielder’s choice before ending the game with back-to-back strikeouts.
It was an important win for UNC because it clinches a series win in the tough ACC–however with the way the Hokies are floundering, and given that the Tar Heels were swept last weekend at Miami, Fox sees Sunday’s game as just as important.
“When you get swept in this league, you gotta try to get a sweep–if nothing else to offset it,” the coach said. “I know we had one on the road against Duke but it’d be nice to get another one because it’s only gonna get tougher from here–or so they tell me.”
Up Next:
The series finale is set to begin Sunday at 1 p.m.
Game Notes:
- It’s worth mentioning again that no UNC pitcher before this weekend had picked up 13 strikeouts in one game since New York Mets’ All-Star Matt Harvey had 15 against Clemson in 2010. It’s now happened in the Tar Heels’ last two games.
- Asked afterwards which pitcher between Gallen and Bukauskas had the better breaking ball, Roberts–the catcher for both–hesitated to answer before giving the slight nod to Gallen’s curve.
- Bukauskas broke a career-high in strikeouts he set two weeks ago against Georgia Tech with 11.
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