Freshman phenom Vance Honeycutt stayed hot at the plate Friday at Boshamer Stadium, launching a go-ahead two-run home run in the sixth inning to give the Diamond Heels a 3-2 lead over Wake Forest. They wouldn’t relinquish it for the rest of the game.

It was a more subdued day overall for the Carolina bats, after the team scored 24 combined runs in its last two games. UNC fell behind early after the Demon Deacons plated two runs in the top of the second off pitcher Max Carlson, but Mac Horvath sliced that deficit in half with an RBI fielder’s choice in the third.

Carlson settled down from there, shutting Wake Forest out over his next three innings of work. He ended his day with a solid line of five innings and just two runs on four hits, but was on the hook for a tough-luck loss until the sixth.

That’s when Honeycutt came through, sending a 2-2 pitch over the left center field wall to give Carolina the lead. Honeycutt would finish the day 2-3 with a walk. Over his last four games, Honeycutt is batting 10-15 and has home runs in each of those contests. In the process, he’s raised his average from .251 to .284. His 15 home runs are now tied for the team lead with Alberto Osuna.

Shawn Rapp and Davis Palermo combined to toss four innings of shutout relief behind Carlson, with Rapp picking up his second win of the year and Palermo lowering his season earned run average to 2.00, by far the lowest on the team among pitchers with at least 10 appearances. Palermo’s 27 appearances this season are second only to Rapp, who has 35. The Carolina trio of Carlson, Rapp and Palermo combined to strand 10 Demon Deacon runners on base.

With the win, UNC is now 30-18 on the season, having already topped its 2021 win total of 28. The Tar Heels have won four games in a row and seven of their last eight. Weather permitting, the team will take the field Saturday looking to win consecutive ACC series for the first time since late March. Though there is rain in the forecast for Chapel Hill Saturday, first pitch is still scheduled for 2 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
‹
UNC Baseball Beats Pittsburgh, Wins 6th Straight Weekend Series
Seven shutout innings from starting pitcher Jason DeCaro and timely hitting from Luke Stevenson and Hunter Stokely helped the Diamond Heels win 6-0 at Pittsburgh Sunday afternoon and clinch the weekend series against the Panthers. It’s the sixth straight series victory for UNC. Make that 𝙨𝙞𝙭 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 🔥#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/kOQMCLnw3n — Carolina Baseball […]
UNC Baseball Drops Second Game of Weekend Series at Pittsburgh
The Diamond Heels couldn’t overcome an early deficit at Pittsburgh Saturday, as UNC fell 4-2 in the second game of a three-game series with the Panthers. Pitt struck early against UNC starter Aidan Haugh, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning after each of the first four Panther batters reached base. […]
UNC Baseball Rallies from Early Deficit, Clinches Series at Virginia Tech
A towering home run from Jackson Van De Brake and strong performances on the mound helped the Diamond Heels erase an early 2-0 hole and beat Virginia Tech 7-4 in Blacksburg Sunday. The win clinches the weekend series for UNC. Cooked some turkey for Easter this year. #GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/hkL62CKppX — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) […]
UNC Baseball Drops 2nd Game of Weekend Series at Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech scored five runs against UNC starter Aidan Haugh in the first inning Saturday, putting the Diamond Heels in a hole they couldn’t climb out of in a 10-6 loss. The Hokies’ opening salvo included three home runs in the span of four batters, and their five runs in the first inning alone were […]
Bats Power UNC Baseball to Win at Virginia Tech in Series Opener
The Diamond Heels banged out 13 hits and nine runs at Virginia Tech Friday night, and it was enough to beat the Hokies 9-6 in the first game of a three-game series. STOKED to take game 1️⃣!!#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/iXXR2WhmAB — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) April 19, 2025 UNC never trailed after going ahead 1-0 on […]
UNC Baseball Completes 3-Game Sweep of Wake Forest
Jason DeCaro carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and freshman Lee Sowers came up clutch in the seventh to help the Diamond Heels beat Wake Forest 3-2 and complete a three-game sweep of the Demon Deacons at Boshamer Stadium Sunday afternoon. Brought the Bosh brooms baby 🧹🧹🧹#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/vmtu1hOpYE — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) […]
UNC Baseball Bludgeons Wake Forest Again for 2nd Straight Run-Rule Win
The Diamond Heels used another offensive avalanche to bury visiting Wake Forest early and win via the 10-run rule for the second straight day Saturday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium, pummeling the Demon Deacons 17-1 in a game ended after seven innings. Don't wake us up 🤩 Dream day for Carolina secures the series and our […]
UNC Baseball Dominates Wake Forest in Series Opener, Wins Via Run Rule
After sitting through a rain-induced postponement of what should have been the series opener Thursday night, the Diamond Heels made the 24-hour wait pay off. UNC dominated visiting Wake Forest in the first game of a critical three-game series at Boshamer Stadium Friday night, using a pair of big innings to beat the Demon Deacons […]
Home Run Derby Helps UNC Baseball Win at Elon
In a game featuring 21 total hits and 22 total runs, the Diamond Heels clubbed four home runs to win 12-10 at Elon Tuesday night. The Bosh Bombers win the day! 💣#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/ostWGABZ82 — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) April 9, 2025 Gavin Gallaher and Tyson Bass accounted for all four of the UNC long […]
UNC Baseball Outlasts Duke in Extra Innings, Wins Weekend Series
A Duke error in the bottom of the 14th inning helped the Diamond Heels walk off the Blue Devils 8-7 in the longest game in the history of the rivalry. 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐃𝐔𝐊𝐄!! 𝐖𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐍!!#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/IL7kpAMQzQ — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) April 5, 2025 The game went to extra innings thanks to a ninth-inning […]
›