The ninth-ranked UNC baseball team continued its undefeated start to the 2017 season on Wednesday, cruising to an easy 11-1 victory at Boshamer Stadium over the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs (2-3).

Sophomore third baseman Kyle Datres went just 1-for-4 in the game, but his two-run home run capped a five-run first inning for the Tar Heels (4-0) that gave them plenty of room to work with the rest of the way.

Pitching with a big lead for nearly the entire time he was in the game, Cole Aker tossed six innings and gave up just one run on three hits. It was the first start of the season for the sophomore, who has pitched out of the bullpen for most of his career in Chapel Hill.

Star centerfielder Brian Miller also had his best game of the season for the Tar Heels, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base out of the leadoff spot.

Other top contributors for head coach Mike Fox’s squad on Wednesday included junior infielders Logan Warmoth and Zack Gahagan.

Warmoth drove in a pair of runs hitting behind Miller in the lineup, while Gahagan added two RBI of his own–including a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh with UNC already up big.

After three straight narrow wins over Kentucky this past weekend–games that required freshman closer Josh Hiatt to pick up a save every time–the Tar Heel bullpen faced much less pressure against Gardner-Webb.

Austin Bergner, Trevor Gay and Brett Daniels combined to finish off the Bulldogs over the final three frames, allowing just two hits total while each throwing one shutout inning apiece.

Up Next:

The Tar Heels will continue their 17-game homestand to open the year with a three-game series this weekend at Boshamer Stadium against Radford.

Game Notes:

  • UNC pitchers struck out nine Gardner-Webb hitters, while surrendering just five hits.
  • Gahagan improved his season batting average to a team-high .467.
  • The Tar Heels went 5-for-5 at the plate in the game in situations with a runner on third base and less than two outs.

 

FINAL BOX SCORE

Related Stories
‹
UNC Baseball Snaps Three-Game Losing Skid With 13-6 Victory Over Gardner-Webb
ACC Player of the Week Aaron Sabato homered on Tuesday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium, while Angel Zarate drove in a team-high three runs to help guide the UNC baseball team to a 13-6 victory over the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs. The win snaps what had been a three-game losing streak for the Tar Heels (11-7), who were […]
Diamond Heels Snap Three-Game Losing Skid With 18-8 Victory Over Gardner-Webb
The 15th-ranked UNC baseball team recovered from losing three straight games this past weekend at Clemson with an 18-8 victory on Tuesday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium over the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs. Danny Serretti went 5-for-5 in the game for UNC (13-4) and was one of five Tar Heels to drive in at least two runs–joining Brandon […]
Gardner-Webb Pitches 1-0 Shutout Over UNC Baseball
Third baseman Eric Jones hit a solo home run in the top of the second inning Wednesday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium, a hit that provided the difference in a 1-0 upset victory for the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs over the UNC baseball team. It was just the second victory over UNC in Gardner-Webb’s program history, as the […]
UNC Baseball Snaps Skid With Win Over Gardner-Webb
Recovering from the first two-game losing streak of the year, the 11th ranked UNC baseball team returned home to Boshamer Stadium and defeated the...
Tar Heels Trounce Runnin' Bulldogs 7-2
The North Carolina baseball team downed Gardner-Webb 7-2 Tuesday night to improve to 31-21 on the season and improve chances of making the NCAA Tournament.
Mike Fox Reflective, Re-Energized As Tar Heels Begin Road Trip
The 30-21 North Carolina baseball team, fresh off securing a much-needed win in the series finale against Florida State, will be aiming to close out the regular season strong with a four-game road swing starting Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. when the Tar Heels take on the 23-26 Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs.
Diamond Heels Cruise Past Gardner Webb 7-1, Face Terps in Weekend Series
The No. 13 North Carolina baseball team cruised past Gardner Webb 7-1 at Boshamer Stadium Wednesday to improve to 12-4 on the season.
Former UNC Star Michael Busch Shines at MLB All-Star Futures Game
Former UNC star Michael Busch became just the fourth Tar Heel to ever play in the MLB All-Star Futures Game on Sunday, and made the most of his time on the field. Busch was selected in the first round (31st overall) of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers and has been playing […]
No. 2 Seed UCLA Ends Season for No. 3 Seed UNC at NCAA Baseball Tournament
Having used up the arms of many of the team’s top pitchers over the first two days at the NCAA Baseball Tournament Lubbock Regional, No. 3 seed UNC suffered a season-ending loss to No. 2 seed UCLA on Sunday by a score of 12-2. The Tar Heels (28-27) gave reliever Connor Ollio just his third […]
Top-Seeded Texas Tech Powers Past No. 3 Seed UNC, Puts Tar Heels on Brink of Elimination
Saturday night in Lubbock saw the top-seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders prove why they earned the right to host an NCAA Regional, as they put No. 3 seed UNC on the brink of tournament elimination with a 7-2 victory in their home stadium. The Tar Heels came into the night riding the high of an […]
›