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 11-1. The game was ended early due to the 10-run rule.

UNC jumped in front thanks to small ball in the bottom of the second inning. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases for Alex Madera, who himself singled on the first pitch he saw to score Gavin Gallaher and move every other runner up a base. Perry Hargett drove in the second run on a fielder’s choice and Carter French drove in the third on a sacrifice bunt. After Hargett took third base on a balk and Kane Kepley was hit by a pitch, Jackon Van De Brake tallied the fourth run of the inning on a single to score Hargett.

Madera was back at it in the third, doubling down the right field line to score Gallaher from first base.

Carolina’s four-run fourth stood in stark contrast to its four-run second. The Diamond Heels played long ball this time, with Kepley clubbing a leadoff home run to extend the lead to 6-0. A Van De Brake single then set up an RBI double from Hunter Stokely on the first pitch he saw, and Stokely himself would score on a booming two-run home run from Gavin Gallaher which hit the Boshamer Stadium scoreboard in left-center field.

With the score 10-1 entering the bottom of the seventh, UNC needed just one run to end the game early. It came in the form of Kepley, who took first on a walk, moved to second on a hit by pitch and then stole third. The speedy centerfielder then scored on a wild pitch, ending the game in “walk-off” fashion.

Every UNC batter reached base at least once, and five recorded multiple hits. Gallaher ended his night 3-3 with three runs scored, three runs batted in and a walk. The Diamond Heels’ 11 runs scored tie their season high in ACC play.

The offensive onslaught came in support of starting pitcher Jake Knapp, who logged 5.2 innings while allowing just one Wake Forest run and striking out three Demon Deacons. He earned his seventh win of the season and is now 7-0 with a 1.58 earned run average. Tom Chmielewski and Cale Bolton combined to record the final four outs.

UNC is now 26-8 overall this season and 9-7 in ACC play. The second game of the series against Wake Forest, weather permitting, is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m.

 

Featured image via UNC-Chapel Hill

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