A go-ahead solo home run from Vance Honeycutt in the bottom of the eighth inning gave the Diamond Heels a 2-1 lead over No. 11 East Carolina they would not relinquish, as Carolina took the opening game of a three-game series with the Pirates. It’s also the 3,000th win in program history.
Honeycutt’s blast was the loudest hit of a quiet night at the plate for both sides. ECU and UNC combined for just 13 hits, and the Tar Heels struck out 13 times. Pirates starting pitcher Trey Yesavage and Carolina’s Folger Boaz each put together strong starts, with Boaz allowing just one run through 4.2 innings and Yesavage striking out 11 batters in six innings.
Yesavage’s only blemish came in the second inning, when doubles by Luke Stevenson and Alex Madera brought in the first Tar Heel run. ECU tied the game in the top of the fifth, using back-to-back singles and a double to score the Pirates’ only run of the night.
After that, both bullpens shined. Neither ECU nor Carolina moved a runner past second base from the bottom of the fifth until Honeycutt stepped to the plate in the eighth. His solo shot shook him out of what had been a rough day at the plate, as the star center fielder had gone 0-3 with two strikeouts. Honeycutt now has half of Carolina’s eight home runs this season.
Matt Poston shut the door on the Pirates with a scoreless ninth, securing a 5-0 start for the Tar Heels for the third time in four seasons under head coach Scott Forbes. Saturday’s second game of the series with ECU will be played in Fayetteville, with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.
Featured image via UNC Baseball on Twitter
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