The Diamond Heels saw their five-game winning streak snapped at Coastal Carolina Tuesday night, but the biggest story of the game was who wasn’t suiting up in blue. Four UNC starters did not play in Tuesday’s game against the Chanticleers: Vance Honeycutt, Tomas Frick, Jackson Van De Brake and Johnny Castagnozzi. All were presumably sitting out due to suspensions from last week’s game against Gardner-Webb.

The game against the Runnin’ Bulldogs featured a shouting match between the two dugouts in the late innings after Van De Brake had struck out, but no punches were thrown. Regardless, the NCAA mandated several Tar Heels serve one-game suspensions over the coming games. UNC did not disclose who the suspended players were or when they would serve those suspensions, only that it was the NCAA’s decision.

Frick and Honeycutt had started every game for Carolina this season before Tuesday; Van De Brake had started all but two. Even so, the Tar Heels put up a valiant effort, leading 3-0 after the top of the first. Unfortunately, starting pitcher Connor Bovair had a rough go of it for the second straight outing, allowing all three of those runs back in the bottom of the frame. Bovair lasted just 2.1 innings while giving up two more runs in the second.

Coastal Carolina extended their lead to 8-3 in the seventh before UNC made it more interesting with two runs in the eighth and one in the ninth, but the Tar Heels couldn’t come all the way back and fell to the Chanticleers for the second time this season.

Carolina will stay south of the border for the weekend to visit No. 7 Clemson in the final ACC regular-season series. The first game is scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications

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