As well as the 10th-ranked UNC baseball has played in the early portion of the ACC season–winning each of its first three series against conference opponents–the Tar Heels have yet to secure a series sweep.
The Miami Hurricanes kept that streak alive Sunday afternoon with a 6-2 victory at Boshamer Stadium, scoring more runs than any team has all season against the dominant UNC pitching staff.
Sophomore Cole Aker started on the mound for head coach Mike Fox, but hit the first batter he faced then walked the next one on four straight pitches. The Tar Heels then immediately turned to the bullpen, with Rodney Hutchison delivering five strong innings in relief.
Miami (11-13, 4-5 ACC) capitalized on Aker’s early mistakes to plate a run against Hutchison in the first inning when catcher Cody Roberts misfired on a throw to third base, but the righty surrendered just two hits overall during his extended stint on the mound.
One of those hits was an RBI triple from Greg Veliz which put the Hurricanes ahead 2-0, while lefty Michael Mediavilla kept the Tar Heels (18-6, 6-3 ACC) bats in check.
The junior tallied just two strikeouts in his 6.1 innings, but allowed only six hits. UNC also did its best to help the visiting causes by committing four errors in the field.
Things went really sour for the Tar Heels, however, in the top of the sixth. Miami jumped all over freshman reliever Austin Bergner for four runs on four hits–putting UNC in the largest deficit its faced this season.
Michael Busch and Logan Warmoth each picked up RBI singles for the Tar Heels in the top of the seventh, but that was all the scoring the team could muster on the day.
Up Next:
UNC has a date on Tuesday with the defending national champion Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Boshamer Stadium. That game is set for 6:00 p.m.
Game Notes:
- The Tar Heels tallied 11 hits in the game, compared to Miami’s seven.
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