The Diamond Heels recovered from their first loss of the 2022 season in a big way Tuesday evening, plating 16 runs in a blowout win over Longwood at Boshamer Stadium.

In what’s becoming a common storyline for the young season, Carolina’s 1-2 punch of Vance Honeycutt and Angel Zarate did major work at the top of the Tar Heel lineup. Honeycutt led off the bottom of the first inning with his fifth home run of the season to give UNC an early 1-0 lead. He also scored Carolina’s second run of the game in the third inning, coming in on a Zarate RBI double.

Zarate would score on a Longwood balk in the bottom of the fifth to make it 4-1 UNC, before the wheels completely came off for the visitors in the sixth. Hits by Alberto Osuna and Will Stewart put runners on second and third, before Hunter Stokley was hit by a pitch to load the bases. That brought up Honeycutt, who drew a five-pitch walk to bring in a run. Zarate stepped up next and promptly took a four-pitch walk, driving in another Carolina run. After a Longwood pitching change, catcher Tomas Frick blasted a ball over the right-center field fence for a grand slam. It was Frick’s first home run, and UNC’s first grand slam, of the 2022 season.

The Diamond Heels weren’t done in the inning, as Stokley would come up again with the bases loaded and drive two runners in with a single. All in all, it was an eight-run frame for Carolina to blow the game open at 12-1. Four more runs in the eighth gave UNC 16 on the evening. It’s the third time in eight games the team has scored at least 14 runs in a game.

Honeycutt and Zarate finished a combined 3-5 with five runs scored, four RBI and three walks. The two outfielders are second and third on the team in batting average, though the top spot still belongs to infielder Johnny Castagnozzi. Castagnozzi went 1-3 Tuesday, though that actually drove down his average to .444.

The 16 runs were more than enough support for the Carolina pitchers. Connor Bovair made his first start of the season, and gave head coach Scott Forbes 4.2 innings of quality work. Bovair allowed just three hits and one run while striking out four, before being relieved in the fifth. Kyle Mott was first out of the bullpen and earned the win with 1.1 perfect innings. Connor Ollio, Caleb Cozart, Tanner Quick and Carson Starnes combined to shut out Longwood over the final three innings while allowing just a single hit.

Now 7-1 in 2022, the Diamond Heels will be right back in action Wednesday night when Winthrop visits Boshamer Stadium for another mid-week matchup. Carolina will stay in Chapel Hill over the weekend as well, when it welcomes in Coastal Carolina for a three-game series.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Jeffrey A. Camarati

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