The Diamond Heels swept a Saturday doubleheader against Indiana at Boshamer Stadium Saturday, and in the process swept the three-game opening series against the Hoosiers.

Carolina ended the first game early via the 10-run rule, scoring three runs in the fifth, six in the sixth and two in the seventh to earn a 12-2 win. Erik Paulsen crushed UNC’s first home run of the season in the fifth as part of a five-RBI day, and UNC took advantage of an Indiana fielding error in the seventh to score the decisive 12th run. On the mound, Folger Boaz earned the win with five strong innings, while Walker McDuffie and Cameron Padgett each worked an inning in relief.

But while the first game ended early, the second would stretch late into the night. Indiana struck for an early run against UNC starter Ryan Lynch, but Carolina answered in the second with a Tyler Howe RBI single. The score remained tied at 1-1 until the seventh, when the Hoosiers worked a pair of two-out walks and then capitalized on a fielding error, scoring a pair of runs in the next at-bat.

UNC’s first two hitters reached on singles in the bottom of the ninth, and the Diamond Heels loaded the bases with two outs after Paulsen worked a five-pitch walk. That set the table for pinch hitter Lee Sowers, who worked a 2-1 count before hitting what appeared to be an easy groundout to second base. The Hoosiers’ Aiden Stewart fielded the grounder cleanly, but his throw to first base was well off the mark, allowing the game-tying runs to score.

Colin Hynek could not drive the winning run home in the next at bat, and the game went to extra innings.

UNC’s bullpen shut down the Hoosier bats in the 10th and 11th innings, allowing just one baserunner in seven at bats. Catcher Macon Winslow led off the bottom of the 11th for Carolina, and the Duke transfer crushed the fifth pitch of the at bat over the left-center field wall for a walk-off home run.

Tom Chmielewski earned the win with 1.1 innings out of the bullpen. Matthew Matthijs threw 32 pitches across 2.1 innings in his return to action after missing much of the 2025 season with an arm injury. Lynch lasted five innings and struck out six Hoosiers.

This is the second consecutive year UNC has opened the season with a three-game sweep of a power conference opponent, after the Diamond Heels swept Texas Tech at Boshamer Stadium in 2025. Now 3-0, Carolina will be back in action when it hosts Richmond in Chapel Hill Tuesday at 4 p.m.

 

Featured image via UNC Baseball on Twitter

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
'We Still Got Work to Do': Gavin Gallaher Confirms Return to UNC Baseball for 2027 Season
Gavin Gallaher is back. The UNC baseball co-captain confirmed his return to the Diamond Heels Tuesday after not being selected in the 2026 MLB Draft. Gallaher is a rising senior and, thanks to the NCAA’s new 5-in-5 rule for student-athletes, will have two years of eligibility remaining. Tar Heel Nation, we still got work to […]
Diamond Heels in the 2026 MLB Draft: Who's Going Where?
Several UNC baseball players have been selected in the 2026 MLB Draft, which runs through Sunday in Philadelphia. The MLB Draft is different from its counterparts in leagues such as the NFL and NBA, in that players with remaining eligibility can choose to return to school even after being drafted. Here’s a look at which […]
UNC's Jason DeCaro Picked by Pittsburgh Pirates in 2026 MLB Draft
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected UNC pitcher Jason DeCaro in the third round of the 2026 MLB Draft. He was the 80th overall pick. 𝐃𝐞𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨 𝐃𝐚𝐲 coming 🔜 in the Burgh!! The @Pirates find draft treasure in @JasonDeCaro2. #ProHeels x @YoungBucsPIT pic.twitter.com/y6WY5AiBPI — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) July 11, 2026 A three-year starter in the Carolina pitching […]
Boston Red Rox Select UNC Outfielder Owen Hull in 2026 MLB Draft
Owen Hull is off the board in the MLB Draft. The Red Sox selected the UNC outfielder in the second round of the draft Saturday in Philadelphia. Hull was the 67th overall pick, and is the second Diamond Heel to be drafted this year following Jake Schaffner’s selection at No. 20 overall by the same […]
UNC Shortstop Jake Schaffner Selected by Boston Red Sox in 1st Round of 2026 MLB Draft
The Boston Red Sox selected UNC shortstop Jake Schaffner with the No. 20 overall pick in the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft Saturday. He’s the first Diamond Heel to be selected in this year’s draft. Schaff is 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙪𝙥 𝙩𝙤 𝘽𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙣 ‼️‼️ From Janesville now to Bean Town, @JakeSchaffner3 is a first round […]
UNC's Caden Glauber Named D1Baseball's National Freshman of the Year
UNC pitcher Caden Glauber took home another individual honor Tuesday, as D1Baseball named him its National Freshman of the Year. 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 🌎 One of the most extraordinary rookie campaigns in college baseball history is commemorated with @d1baseball's 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 award. pic.twitter.com/8icFGsbl0G — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) June 30, 2026 Glauber, who played the […]
Check out the Full Schedule for UNC's ACC Network Takeover
The ACC Network will air a full day of UNC games from the 2025-26 academic year Wednesday, July 1. It’s part of a series of ACC Network Takeovers, which started June 24 and include all 18 member schools. UNC’s takeover includes wall-to-wall coverage from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. The broadcast day gets underway with […]
UNC Baseball Fall Short vs. Oklahoma in Game 3 of National Championship Series
Oklahoma took the lead early and steadily pulled away from the Diamond Heels in Game 3 of the national championship series Monday night.
UNC Baseball in the National Championship Series: How to Watch, Cord-Cutting Options and Start Times
The Diamond Heels will play for the national championship this weekend in a best-of-three series against Oklahoma.
'All Hands on Deck': UNC's Scott Forbes Discusses Pitching Plan for Winner-Take-All Championship Game
Scott Forbes and the Diamond Heels are making every pitcher available for Monday night's winner-take-all championship game.
›