A go-ahead grand slam from Vance Honeycutt in the bottom of the fifth inning proved to be the difference for the Diamond Heels against Elon Tuesday night, as Carolina defeated the Phoenix 8-7 at Boshamer Stadium.
Prior to Honeycutt’s slam, UNC had seen a 3-0 lead evaporate in the fourth inning as Elon plated four runs to take the lead. But after Luke Stevenson reached on an error and Alberto Osuna and Alex Madera both singled, Honeycutt stepped to the plate and blasted a 3-2 pitch over the right field wall to give Carolina a 7-4 lead. It was Honeycutt’s 40th collegiate home run, making him only the second Tar Heel ever with 40 career homers and 50 career stolen bases.
Honeycutt was also key in adding insurance in the seventh inning, legging out an infield single, taking second base on a wild pitch and then scoring on a single by Casey Cook. That run became all the more important when the Phoenix tacked on two in the top of the eighth, cutting UNC’s lead to 8-7. But Dalton Pence slammed the door in the ninth, inducing a flyout and striking out two to give Carolina its fourth win of the season.
Honeycutt finished 2-4 with four runs batted in and three runs scored. Cook and Parks Harber each also collected two hits, meaning the 1-3 hitters in the Tar Heel lineup batted 6-10 against the Phoenix. The rest of the Carolina hitters combined for four hits. On the mound, Matthew Matthijs earned the win with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief. Pence collected his first save of the season.
The Diamond Heels will look to keep their record spotless when they host No. 11 East Carolina in the first of a three-game series on Friday at Boshamer Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. The second game of the series will be played in Fayetteville on Saturday, and the finale will be played on ECU’s campus in Greenville on Sunday.
Featured image via Aaron Fitt
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 newsletter.
Related Stories
‹
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.
The Omaha Diaries, Day 8: Father's DayAfter his father died last July, Diamond Heels first baseman Erik Paulsen played with extra emotions Sunday against Oklahoma.
'No Other Choice': UNC Baseball Digs Deep to Keep Championship Hopes AliveThe Diamond Heels fought back from an early deficit and an unfortunate injury to beat Oklahoma Sunday afternoon in Omaha.
UNC Baseball Bounces Back, Beats Oklahoma to Force Winner-Take-All Championship GameThe Diamond Heels recovered from an early deficit to beat Oklahoma 6-2 in Game 2 of the national championship series in Omaha Sunday.
The Omaha Diaries, Day 7: David's TeamDavid from Burlington has become the Diamond Heels' biggest fan thanks to the Team IMPACT program.
UNC Baseball Remains Confident Despite Game 1 Championship SetbackThe Diamond Heels remain confident in themselves after losing Game 1 of the championship series against Oklahoma.
›
