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.

UNC scored two runs in the first, three in the second, three in the third and five in the fourth to pile on early, burning through five Wake Forest pitchers in the process. Of the first four Demon Deacons to take the mound, none recorded more than four outs while a total of 31 Diamond Heels stepped to the plate.

The infield duo of Jackson Van De Brake and Gavin Gallaher swung red-hot bats, with Van De Brake opening the scoring on a solo home run in the bottom of the first. Gallaher drove in the inning’s second run with an RBI single, but the pair weren’t close to finished.

Van De Brake struck again in the second, singling to score Carter French and then coming in himself on a Luke Stevenson double. In the third, Gallaher joined the home run fun with his fifth long ball in as many games.

Later that same inning, Van De Brake recorded his third RBI hit in the first three innings with another single. The UNC shortstop picked up yet another by drawing a walk with the bases loaded as part of Carolina’s five-run fourth inning. UNC would draw two more bases-loaded walks that same inning and 10 walks in total on the day.

Gallaher chipped in one more time with another RBI single as part of a four-run sixth, extending UNC’s lead to 17-1 entering the seventh inning. Folger Boaz took over for starter Aidan Haugh and recorded the final three outs, putting the run rule into effect and ending the game. It’s the first time all season the Diamond Heels have won consecutive games via the run rule.

Van De Brake and Gallaher combined for six hits in eight at-bats, four runs scored, seven RBIs and two home runs. Stevenson and Tyson Bass drew six of the team’s 10 walks, and every UNC started scored at least one run.

On the mound, Haugh – having moved up in the rotation in place of Jason DeCaro, who will start Sunday’s season finale – was sharp through six innings, allowing only one run while striking out eight Deacons. He earned his fourth win of the season while dropping his earned run average to 1.82.

The win clinches the series for UNC and improves the Diamond Heels to 27-8 overall and 10-7 in ACC play. The team has outscored Wake Forest 28-2 in the first two games of the series, and Carolina will go for its first sweep in conference play Sunday afternoon in the series finale at 1 p.m.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications

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