In their opening ACC series, the Diamond Heels dropped the first two of a three-game series against No. 17 Virginia, but were able to salvage the third game on Saturday, the second of a doubleheader. It was Virginia’s first loss of the season.

Poor pitching defined the two losses for Carolina. In Friday’s opener, starter Max Carlson was shelled for seven hits and six runs in just 1.2 innings while taking his first loss. The UNC bullpen did an admirable job in relief, allowing just one more run over the final 7.1 innings, but the damage was done. Carolina wasn’t able to dig itself out of the early 6-0 deficit and fell 7-3.

In the second game — and the first of Saturday’s doubleheader — it was the Tar Heels who jumped in front early with three first-inning runs, courtesy of RBI knocks from Jackson Van De Brake, Tomas Frick and Alberto Osuna. That lead initially held up under a solid start from Connor Bovair, but a pair of runs in the fifth and a home run in the sixth tied the game. Two singles to begin the top of the seventh knocked Bovair out. This time, the UNC bullpen wasn’t able to hold, as Ben Peterson allowed both of Bovair’s runners to score and then allowed one more run for good measure. The Cavaliers ended up scoring eight unanswered runs between the fifth and the eighth in the 8-4 win. It was Carolina’s fifth loss of the season, and the fourth in which they held a lead.

The series finale finally gave Tar Heel fans something to cheer about, as Carolina dominated the Cavalier bats in a 6-0 shutout win. Starter Jake Knapp and reliever Matt Poston combined to allow just five hits on the day and strike out seven. Knapp went the first 4.1 innings, while Poston pitched the final 4.2 and earned his second win of the season.

At the plate, Mac Horvath continued to swing a hot bat with an RBI single in the fifth and a two-run home run to blow the game open in the seventh. Horvath’s eight homers this year are most on the team, and his .791 slugging percentage is tied for first with Frick.

The game also featured the highlight of the young season. Outfielder Casey Cook robbed Virginia of a home run with a leaping, bobbling catch at the right field wall. The play was named the No. 1 play of the day on SportsCenter’s Top 10.

Carolina now sits at 12-5 on the season and 1-2 in ACC play. The team will play just its second road game of the season on Tuesday when it visits Charlotte, before returning home the following day to host High Point in Chapel Hill. A three-game road series at Pittsburgh awaits the following weekend.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Ainsley E. Fauth

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