The Queen is dead. Again.
The Diamond Heels hosted a royal rumble at Boshamer Stadium Tuesday night and came out on top, defeating Queens 10-6 in the first game of a critical nine-game homestand.
All 10 of Carolina’s runs came in the first three innings, with seven of them coming in the opening frame. A bases-loaded walk from Vance Honeycutt got the scoring started, before RBI knocks from Tomas Frick, Hunter Stokely and Patrick Alvarez kept the line moving. Casey Cook added an RBI groundout for the seventh and final run of the inning.
Alvarez went back to work in the third, sending a three-run blast over the left field fence and toward the new fully-electric scoreboard now adorning the Boshamer Stadium outfield.
Though seemingly unimportant at the time, Alvarez’s home run proved to be vital insurance down the stretch. The Royals steadily chipped away at Carolina’s lead in the late innings, scoring twice in the sixth, once in the seventh and once in the eighth. Queens then scored two more runs in the ninth and brought the tying run to the plate, threatening to completely erase UNC’s seemingly insurmountable 10-run lead. Kevin Eaise came on to record the final out and struck out the final Royal batter on a 3-2 pitch, ensuring a rapid release of breath from everyone in attendance. It was Eaise’s fourth save of the season.
The win improves Carolina to 23-10 on the season and 17-6 at home. Up next for the Tar Heels is a huge three-game series with Miami, with the first game scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m. The Hurricanes swept the Tar Heels last season.
Featured image via UNC Baseball on Twitter
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