The Diamond Heels rallied from an early 2-0 deficit against visiting Gardner-Webb Tuesday night at Boshamer Stadium, scoring the tying run in the fifth and the go-ahead run in the sixth in a 5-2 win.
The Bulldogs scored both of their runs in the third against Carolina starter Cameron Padgett, but the UNC bullpen stifled the visitors’ bats after that. Matthew Matthijs, Connor Bovair and Dalton Pence combined for 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing just four hits, one walk and striking out eight between them.
Carolina had troubles of its own against the Gardner-Webb arms, but finally got on the board in the fifth with a Gavin Gallaher RBI double. Vance Honeycutt followed that up with an RBI single to drive in Gallaher and tie the game. The future first-round draft pick has improved his average to .313 on the season, and his 110 total bases are the most on the team.
An Alex Madera sacrifice fly in the sixth gave Carolina the lead, and the Tar Heels added insurance in the seventh off a wild pickoff throw and an RBI single. The Bulldogs brought the tying run to the plate with two outs in the top of the ninth, but Pence forced a groundout to end the game.
The win improves Carolina to 31-10 on the season and 24-1 at home. The Diamond Heels will continue their 10-game homestand during the weekend when they host Virginia Tech for a critical three-game series. First pitch in Friday’s opening game is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Featured image via UNC Baseball on Twitter
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
Related Stories
‹
UNC Baseball Falls to Georgia Tech in ACC Championship GameNo. 1 seed Georgia Tech scored five runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a lead it wouldn’t relinquish in the ACC Championship Game Sunday in Charlotte, beating the Diamond Heels 13-6. Carolina scored first and held a 1-0 lead entering the second inning thanks to an Owen Hull RBI single, but […]
Here's the Complete Bracket for the 2026 ACC Baseball TournamentThe 2026 ACC Baseball Tournament will take place this week at Truist Field in Charlotte. UNC is the defending champion in the tournament and will compete as the No. 2 seed in the field. The 2026 season is the second consecutive year the ACC will be using a basic single-elimination format for the tournament, as […]
UNC Baseball Throttles Pitt to Advance to ACC Tournament ChampionshipThe Diamond Heels banged out 22 total hits and hit a season-high six home runs in a 13-5 win against Pitt in the ACC Tournament semifinals in Charlotte Saturday afternoon. UNC, the No. 2 seed in the field, will face No. 1 seed Georgia Tech in the championship game Sunday. 𝗛𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗮 𝙥𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙝 💥 […]
UNC Baseball in the 2026 ACC Tournament: How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Start TimeThe Diamond Heels will play for their second consecutive ACC Tournament championship Sunday in Charlotte. UNC is the No. 2 seed in the field. If you aren’t in Charlotte with the team, here’s how you can follow along at home: Broadcast Schedule Those hoping to listen to the game on the radio with Dave Nathan […]
UNC Baseball Pulls Away Late to Beat Virginia Tech in ACC Tournament QuarterfinalsThe Diamond Heels scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to break open a close game and beat No. 7 seed Virginia Tech 10-4 in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals in Charlotte Friday afternoon. 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 💪#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/dhshA3dqrk — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) May 22, 2026 UNC entered the eighth […]
UNC's Caden Glauber Named ACC Freshman of the Year; Several Other Teammates HonoredUNC relief pitcher Caden Glauber was named first team All-ACC and the league’s Freshman of the Year Monday. The conference doled out several other honors to the Diamond Heels, as three of Glauber’s teammates also received first team recognition. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨 🏆@GlauberCaden is your ACC Freshman of the Year! pic.twitter.com/FMbkEo6jOb — Carolina […]
UNC Baseball Drops Regular Season Finale at NC State; Will Be No. 2 Seed in ACC TournamentThe Diamond Heels fell behind early and could not complete a three-game sweep of NC State in Raleigh Saturday, losing 7-2 in the regular season finale. The Wolfpack struck for two runs in the first inning against Carolina starter Folger Boaz, and it was the start of a long afternoon for UNC pitching. NC State […]
UNC Baseball Drills NC State in Run Rule Victory to Clinch Series WinThe Diamond Heels scored five runs in the second inning, four in the fourth and seven in the fifth on their way to a 17-7 win at NC State Friday in Raleigh. The win, which came in seven innings via the run rule, clinched a ninth consecutive series win for UNC. 𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐈𝐓 𝐔𝐏 𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐊 […]
UNC Baseball Stays Hot With Series Opening Win at NC StateThe Diamond Heels scored five runs in the top of the fifth inning on their way to a 9-4 win at NC State in Raleigh Thursday night. 𝐖𝐨𝐧 the first battle. Start the series strong 💪#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/ouJhmgIWCh — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) May 15, 2026 The big inning came after UNC had already taken […]
UNC Baseball at NC State (2026): How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Start TimesThe Diamond Heels will wrap up the regular season when they visit NC State in Raleigh for a three-game series beginning Thursday night. UNC is 20-7 in conference games this year and still has a chance to win the ACC regular season title, though it would need Georgia Tech to lose twice to do so. […]
›
