The Diamond Heels will enter next week’s ACC Tournament on a four-game losing streak. Carolina fell at Clemson 3-1 on Saturday afternoon and were swept for the second time this season.

Playing without Vance Honeycutt for the fourth consecutive game, the UNC lineup did little to make up for the loss of one of their most potent bats. Carolina managed just five hits and one run, which came by way of a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning. Clemson starter Caden Grice did damage on both sides of the ball, shutting the Carolina bats down for 7.1 innings and hitting a two-run home run in the first against UNC starter Dalton Pence.

Pence lasted just 2.1 innings, meaning the Tar Heel starting pitchers in the series combined to go just 9.2 innings across three games. Saturday’s finale also saw only one Carolina hitter (Frick) register more than one hit. His second came in the top of the ninth in the form of a leadoff double, but Frick got no farther than third base as the Tar Heels brought the tying run to the plate three times but could do nothing with it.

The loss means UNC will enter the ACC Tournament at 33-21 and 14-14 in ACC play. The Tar Heels end with an exactly .500 record in conference games for the second consecutive season. The team likely wouldn’t mind a repeat of 2022 next week, as Carolina enters the ACC Tournament as defending champions. A full seeding list will be released after the conclusion of all conference games this weekend.

 

Featured image via UNC Baseball on Twitter


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