The Diamond Heels celebrated Bark at the Bosh night in Chapel Hill Tuesday night and used a dogged effort to push past Appalachian State, 4-2, and improve the team’s home record to 16-0 this season.

The duo of Vance Honeycutt and Angel Zarate continued to hound opposing pitchers this season, as a Zarate RBI double in the first inning scored Honeycutt after the freshman tripled to lead off the frame. The hit extended Zarate’s hitting streak to 21 games and his on-base streak to 44 games. Honeycutt’s day would be cut short though, as he exited the game in the bottom of the fifth after being hit by a pitch.

After the Mountaineers tied the score at 1-1 in the third, catcher Max Riemer made the most of his first start of the season with an RBI single in the fourth to give Carolina the lead back. Riemer finished the day 2-3 at the plate, the only Tar Heel to collect multiple hits on the evening.

Pitcher Will Sandy was on a short leash in his third start of the season, going just 2.1 innings before making way for UNC’s bullpen brigade. Shaddon Peavyhouse, Shawn Rapp and Davis Palermo ensured Carolina held its slim 2-1 lead into the top of the eighth inning, but Gage Gillian found his way into head coach Scott Forbes’ doghouse by allowing a game-tying solo home run. Two more Mountaineer batters reached in the inning against Gillian and Nik Pry before the ever-reliable Caden O’Brien came in to get the frame’s final out.

That set the stage for Carolina’s game-winning rally in the bottom of the eighth. After Danny Serretti walked with one out, Mac Horvath brought him all the way around with an RBI double to deep left field. Serretti scored on the play after the Mountaineer infielders failed to fetch the relay throw from the outfield, which also allowed Horvath to advance to third base. Hunter Stokely then walked on four pitches, before he and Horvath executed a picture-perfect double steal, with Stokely acting as a decoy on the basepaths and Horvath scoring UNC’s fourth run in the ensuing fracas.

O’Brien came back out for the ninth and added three more strikeouts to the team’s total on the night, slamming the door on the Mountaineers and improving Carolina to 18-3 on the season. UNC’s home stay is a brief one, as the Tar Heels will return to the road this weekend for a three-game series at Miami. The dog days of the ACC baseball schedule are just beginning.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Anthony Sorbellini

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
‹
Chansky's Notebook: Draft Crush
UNC joins Michigan and Arizona as the three schools to have at least one athlete picked in the first round of the NFL, NBA and MLB drafts.
2025 MLB Draft Tracker: See Where the Diamond Heels are Headed in the Pros
The 2025 Major League Baseball Draft saw several Diamond Heels get selected. It continues a run of excellence for the UNC baseball program, which has had at least one player selected in every draft since 1978. The first Diamond Heel off the board was catcher Luke Stevenson, who went to the Seattle Mariners with the No. 35 […]
UNC Outfielder Kane Kepley Selected by Chicago Cubs in 2nd Round of MLB Draft
Kane Kepley is headed to the Show. The Chicago Cubs selected Kepley with in the second round with the No. 56 overall pick of the 2025 MLB Draft Sunday evening in Atlanta. About to be 𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍 𝐊𝐀𝐍𝐄 in the Windy City! Kep is a Cub 🦁🐻#ProHeels pic.twitter.com/IsjxlBfnaa — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) July 14, 2025 Kepley […]
UNC's Luke Stevenson Selected by Seattle Mariners in 1st Round of MLB Draft
The Seattle Mariners selected UNC catcher Luke Stevenson with the No. 35 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft Sunday. Call him 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 😤 Going to be rainin homers up there soon! #ProHeels | #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/YfpM9r2FjJ — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) July 14, 2025 Stevenson, a draft-eligible sophomore, […]
Chansky's Notebook: Growing Pains
Former UNC star Vance Honeycutt signed a $4 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles, but he is struggling in the minor leagues.
Check Out the Complete Schedule for UNC's 'ACC Network Takeover' July 8
The ACC Network will feature 24 hours of Tar Heel highlights from the 2024-25 athletic year Tuesday as part of its annual “ACC Network Takeover.” Programming begins at midnight and lasts through 11:59 p.m. Featured games include the women’s basketball team’s win against No. 10 NC State at Carmichael Arena back in February. Those who […]
College Baseball Foundation Names UNC's Jake Knapp National Pitcher of the Year
UNC right-hander Jake Knapp has been named the National Pitcher of the Year by the College Baseball Foundation. 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 👏 Jake Knapp is the 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿. pic.twitter.com/uFaFnNZAWy — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) June 13, 2025 Knapp missed the entirety of the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery during the […]
Late Collapse Dooms UNC Baseball in NCAA Super Regional Game 3
Arizona capitalized on a pair of fielding errors in the top of the eighth inning to score three runs and stun the Diamond Heels 4-3 in the winner-take-all game of the NCAA Super Regionals at Boshamer Stadium Sunday afternoon. UNC’s season is over. Carolina entered the inning leading 3-1 on the strength of a three-run […]
UNC Baseball in the 2025 NCAA Super Regionals: How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Start Times
UNC baseball is hosting a super regional round, as the No. 5 Diamond Heels welcome the Arizona Wildcats for a best-of-three series.
'We Can't Overlook Today': UNC Baseball Learning From Past Drama Entering NCAA Tournament
If any team in the country knows not to take a so-called “cupcake” NCAA Tournament game lightly, it’s the Diamond Heels.
›