From the beginning of his final start at Boshamer Stadium, it was clear UNC right-handed pitcher Jake Knapp did not have his best command.
But when you’ve got an offense as good at Carolina’s is right now, you’re going to be afforded a big cushion of runs.
The No. 5 Diamond Heels opened up their super regional round vs. Arizona with a 18-2 win Friday afternoon, setting a program record for most runs scored in a super regional. UNC homered four times, including in the first inning to take the lead back from the Wildcats after Knapp allowed an early run. First baseman Hunter Stokely hit a moonshot over the right field fence to follow up RBIs from Luke Stevenson and Gavin Gallaher, with the Diamond Heels racing out to a 5-1 lead before Arizona recorded an out.
The fireworks continued in the bottom of the second inning, as the top of the order came to bat again. Kane Kepley — who finished the day 3-for-5 with four runs scored — tripled to centerfield and Jackson Van de Brake drew a walk before Stevenson mashed a three-run homer that left his bat at 114 mph. That was enough to chase the Zona starter Owen Kramkowski, with the sophomore pitcher departing after just 12 batters, facing an 8-1 deficit and allowing UNC to go 4-for-4 with runners in scoring position.
While the top of Carolina’s order caught fire compared to their regional performances, Gallaher continued his scorching stretch at the plate. After knocking in a run in the first inning, the UNC third baseman then hit a soft liner into right to score Kepley in the fourth inning to extend the Heels’ lead to 9-2 before finishing 4-for-5 on the afternoon. An impressive diving catch by Arizona centerfielder Aaron Walton to rob Gallaher of a double was the reason the sophomore did not finish with a perfect day at the plate — a highlight play for the Big 12 champions on an afternoon with few to pick from for the Wildcats.
The Diamond Heels’ other homers came in the bottom of the eighth inning after the game was already firmly out of hand. Sam Angelo continued his hot postseason by hitting a three-run homer to right field, pushing the score to 17-2 before Kepley hit a solo shot for his third homer of the season.
Despite not being as dominant as the grad student has been for much of the season, Knapp’s command issues never fully came back to bite him — not just because of UNC’s hot bats, but their defense too. In the second inning, three straight Wildcat hits threatened a quick response to Carolina’s big opening frame, but a double play helped bail Knapp out. After loading the bases again in the fourth inning, the right-hander gave up a sacrifice fly to score Arizona’s second run before the Diamond Heels again turned a clutch double play to limit the damage.
The ACC Pitcher of the Year finished Friday’s start having allowed his most hits in an appearance this season (9) and hitting two batters himself, but having pitched 7+ innings while striking out three and walking none. The result kept Knapp undefeated in games this season and tied him for the UNC single-season record of 14 wins.
Carolina will be back in action Saturday vs. Arizona, with their 13th appearance to the NCAA College World Series on the line if they can win a second game against the Wildcats. First pitch for Game 2 of the Chapel Hill Super Regional at Boshamer Stadium is set for 12 p.m., weather permitting, and will be broadcast on 97.9 The Hill for radio and ESPN2 for television.
Featured photo via UNC Athletics Communications / Diamond Heels on X.
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