The Diamond Heels bounced back from their second loss of the season Friday afternoon, topping visiting Pittsburgh at Boshamer Stadium to open ACC play 1-0.

The top of Carolina’s lineup did damage all day long. Outfielders Angel Zarate and Vance Honeycutt combined to bat 4-8, with four runs scored, two RBI and two walks. Honeycutt scored UNC’s first run of the day after reaching on an error, moving to second on a walk, and then to third and home on two consecutive groundouts.

Manufacturing runs was the name of the game for the Tar Heels on Friday, though Honeycutt showed he can do it the quick way, too. The freshman star blasted his sixth home run of the season in the fifth inning to give Carolina a 4-2 lead. He is the only Tar Heel with more than three long balls this season.

Pitt tied it with a two-run blast in the next inning, but Mac Horvath broke the deadlock in the bottom of the frame with a single to score Danny Serretti. Serretti got an RBI of his own in the seventh, singling home Angel Zarate, who had advanced to third after Johnny Castagnozzi reached on another Panthers error. Honeycutt provided more insurance in the eighth, stealing second after walking and then scoring on a Zarate single. It was Honeycutt’s team-leading 13th stolen base of the season. No other Tar Heel has more than four.

Lefty Brandon Schaeffer once again took the mound as the Friday starter for Carolina, but was knocked around for 10 hits over his 5.1 innings of work. Fortunately for Schaeffer and the Tar Heels, the bullpen combined to shut out the Panthers over the final 3.2 innings while the offense took the lead. Kyle Mott earned his third win of the season with 2.2 no-hit innings, and Caden O’Brien came out for the ninth to seal his third save of the season.

Carolina is now 12-2 on the young season and 1-0 in conference play. Weather permitting, the team will host Pittsburgh for two more games at Boshamer Stadium this weekend. First pitch on Saturday is scheduled for 2 p.m.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications

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