Vance Honeycutt hit his 57th and 58th collegiate home runs on Friday night, setting a new UNC program record in an eight-inning, 14-4 run-rule victory for the Diamond Heels against Louisville.

Honeycutt got the party started early, sending No. 57 out of Boshamer Stadium in the bottom of the first inning to put Carolina ahead 1-0. That home run tied him with Devy Bell’s previous program record, set in 1987 (Bell, notably, needed four seasons to establish his mark, compared to Honeycutt’s three).

Louisville briefly took the lead with two runs against UNC starter Jason DeCaro in the top of the second, but Carolina answered with six runs in the bottom of the third to blow the game open. All six runs came via the home run, and Honeycutt started it off with his history-making solo shot to left field.

Honeycutt is tied for the ACC lead with 21 home runs on the season, and his 26 stolen bases rank second. The reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year and 2022 ACC Tournament MOP is projected as a first-round pick in this summer’s MLB Draft.

Parks Harber, Alberto Osuna and Gavin Gallaher also went deep before the inning was done. Osuna followed up his two-run shot with a three-run blast in the fourth to make the score 10-3. Anthony Donofrio added a two-run shot of his own in the eighth, part of a four-run rally which ended the game via 10-run rule. An RBI single by Colby Wilkerson served as the “walk-off.”

On the mound, DeCaro earned his fourth win of the season with five innings pitched and three runs allowed. Matthew Matthijs and Dalton Pence combined to pitch the final three frames, with Matthijs getting eight of the nine final outs.

With the win, Carolina improves to 37-11 overall, 18-7 in ACC play and 30-2 at home this season. The team’s 18 conference wins ties a single-season record under fourth-year head coach Scott Forbes. The Diamond Heels will try to clinch the series against the Cardinals on Saturday at noon.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Ainsley E. Fauth

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