The Diamond Heels earned their 30th win of the season in unorthodox fashion Tuesday night at Boshamer Stadium, taking the lead on a Gardner-Webb balk in the bottom of the eighth inning and holding on for a 5-4 win. The victory was also the 100th in the three-year head coaching career of Scott Forbes.
The balk scored the second run of the inning for Carolina and capped off a rally defined by Gardner-Webb mistakes. After Vance Honeycutt and Mac Horvath each reached base and Tomas Frick was intentionally walked to load the bases, a throwing error on the Runnin’ Bulldogs’ pitcher allowed Honeycutt to score the game-tying, unearned run. The balk then occurred in the very next at-bat.
Carolina had trailed for much of the game after seeing a 2-0 lead disappear in the fourth as Gardner-Webb scored three runs. UNC then tied it in the sixth, only for the Runnin’ Bulldogs to take the lead once again in the seventh. The odd eighth inning allowed the Tar Heels to avoid what would’ve been a damaging loss for their NCAA Tournament hopes, and also meant Carolina has now won 30 games for the second time in three seasons under Forbes.
Forbes wasn’t the only Tar Heel to reach a milestone Tuesday night. An early home run from Horvath gave him 20 on the season, making him just the second player in program history to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in a single season. The first occurrence came just last season, courtesy of Horvath’s teammate: Honeycutt.
Only three regular-season home games remain for Carolina, and they all come later this week against NC State. Friday and Saturday’s games against the Wolfpack are already sold out. Thursday’s series opener is scheduled to begin at 7 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 biweekly newsletter.
Related Stories
‹
'We Still Got Work to Do': Gavin Gallaher Confirms Return to UNC Baseball for 2027 SeasonGavin Gallaher is back. The UNC baseball co-captain confirmed his return to the Diamond Heels Tuesday after not being selected in the 2026 MLB Draft. Gallaher is a rising senior and, thanks to the NCAA’s new 5-in-5 rule for student-athletes, will have two years of eligibility remaining. Tar Heel Nation, we still got work to […]
Diamond Heels in the 2026 MLB Draft: Who's Going Where?Several UNC baseball players have been selected in the 2026 MLB Draft, which runs through Sunday in Philadelphia. The MLB Draft is different from its counterparts in leagues such as the NFL and NBA, in that players with remaining eligibility can choose to return to school even after being drafted. Here’s a look at which […]
UNC's Jason DeCaro Picked by Pittsburgh Pirates in 2026 MLB DraftThe Pittsburgh Pirates selected UNC pitcher Jason DeCaro in the third round of the 2026 MLB Draft. He was the 80th overall pick. 𝐃𝐞𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨 𝐃𝐚𝐲 coming 🔜 in the Burgh!! The @Pirates find draft treasure in @JasonDeCaro2. #ProHeels x @YoungBucsPIT pic.twitter.com/y6WY5AiBPI — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) July 11, 2026 A three-year starter in the Carolina pitching […]
Boston Red Rox Select UNC Outfielder Owen Hull in 2026 MLB DraftOwen Hull is off the board in the MLB Draft. The Red Sox selected the UNC outfielder in the second round of the draft Saturday in Philadelphia. Hull was the 67th overall pick, and is the second Diamond Heel to be drafted this year following Jake Schaffner’s selection at No. 20 overall by the same […]
UNC Shortstop Jake Schaffner Selected by Boston Red Sox in 1st Round of 2026 MLB DraftThe Boston Red Sox selected UNC shortstop Jake Schaffner with the No. 20 overall pick in the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft Saturday. He’s the first Diamond Heel to be selected in this year’s draft. Schaff is 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙪𝙥 𝙩𝙤 𝘽𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙣 ‼️‼️ From Janesville now to Bean Town, @JakeSchaffner3 is a first round […]
UNC's Caden Glauber Named D1Baseball's National Freshman of the YearUNC pitcher Caden Glauber took home another individual honor Tuesday, as D1Baseball named him its National Freshman of the Year. 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 🌎 One of the most extraordinary rookie campaigns in college baseball history is commemorated with @d1baseball's 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 award. pic.twitter.com/8icFGsbl0G — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) June 30, 2026 Glauber, who played the […]
Check out the Full Schedule for UNC's ACC Network TakeoverThe ACC Network will air a full day of UNC games from the 2025-26 academic year Wednesday, July 1. It’s part of a series of ACC Network Takeovers, which started June 24 and include all 18 member schools. UNC’s takeover includes wall-to-wall coverage from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. The broadcast day gets underway with […]
UNC Baseball Fall Short vs. Oklahoma in Game 3 of National Championship SeriesOklahoma took the lead early and steadily pulled away from the Diamond Heels in Game 3 of the national championship series Monday night.
UNC Baseball in the National Championship Series: How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Start TimesThe Diamond Heels will play for the national championship this weekend in a best-of-three series against Oklahoma.
'All Hands on Deck': UNC's Scott Forbes Discusses Pitching Plan for Winner-Take-All Championship GameScott Forbes and the Diamond Heels are making every pitcher available for Monday night's winner-take-all championship game.
›
