A pair of home runs from designated hitter Sam Angelo and timely two-out hitting helped power No. 5 UNC baseball to a 11-5 win over Oklahoma in Saturday’s regional matchup between the 1-0 teams.
The graduate student and D-III transfer doubled his home run season total by blasting a pair of shots off top Oklahoma starter and projected top-10 draft pick Kyson Witherspoon: a three-run opposite-field homer in the bottom of the first and a solo homer to start the fifth inning. Angelo finished 2-for-3 with a walk — after starting in Friday’s regional-opening win over Holy Cross but seeing limited action during the Diamond Heels’ ACC Tournament run and final series of the regular season.
In part because of Angelo’s hitting, it took far less time for Carolina’s offense to get started compared to Friday’s regional opener. First baseman Hunter Stokely slapped a single into right field to drive in Kane Kepley for UNC’s initial run, followed by RBI singles from Alex Madera and Tyson Bass. Those two Diamond Heels were brought home by Angelo’s blast, which completed the six-run frame — the most runs scored by Carolina in the first inning this season, and all with two outs. Meanwhile, the six runs allowed by Witherspoon, who departed in the fifth inning, were the most he had allowed in any start this season, as were the 10 hits.
Third baseman Gavin Gallaher added to UNC’s lead in the fourth inning, singling to drive home Kepley, as part of a 4-for-5 evening. In the fifth inning, Bass also added to Carolina’s lead in the at-bat before Angelo’s second homer, hitting his own solo shot.
Carolina’s offense was matched by yet another strong performance by sophomore starting pitcher Jason DeCaro, who tied his career-high in strikeouts with eight against Oklahoma and notched his 11th win on the season. He stifled much of the Sooners’ offense until the sixth inning, when a string of hits plated their first runs and he was chased in the seventh inning after allowing a base runner to start the frame. A two-out RBI single up the middle scored the Sooners their third run off that runner with Olin Johnson pitching in relief. The SEC program plated another two-out run in the eighth off Cameron Padgett and their final run in the top of the ninth inning.
Madera and Carter French added their own RBI singles to help UNC counter the Sooners’ runs in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively, and maintain their lead.
Saturday’s win moves Carolina to 44-12 on the season. The regional hosts will await the winner of Oklahoma-Nebraska, who will play an elimination game at 12 p.m. on Sunday after the Huskers knocked out Holy Cross Saturday afternoon. The second game of the day will be set for Sunday at 6 p.m. — in which UNC can either clinch the regional with a win. If the Diamond Heels lose, an elimination regional final will be played Monday night.
Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Carolina Baseball on X.
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Maybe the best game of the season, certainly in the top three.
The ACC was 4 and 0 against the SEC today. 4 – zip. Carolina deserves it’s #1 ranking and should have been the #1 seed.