University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Seton Hall
No. 6 Tar Heels Open 2015 With 7-1 Win
February 13, 2015 | Baseball
CHAPEL HILL --- Tyler Ramirez and Joe Dudek homered to lead a balanced offensive attack and No. 6 North Carolina opened the 2015 season with a 7-1 win over visiting Seton Hall Friday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium. Spencer Trayner pitched 2.2 scoreless innings in relief of Trent Thornton to get the win. Carolina will go for the series win Saturday in a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | X | R | H | E | |
| Seton Hall | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| Carolina | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | X | - | 7 | 9 | 0 |
Ramirez made it 2-0 in the first with a towering drive to right center. The sophomore drove a 3-1 pitch out for the first home run of the season, which is being played with a new ball in hopes of promoting offense. It seemed to be working when Dudek made it two homers in two innings with a solo shot in the second.
Seton Hall was dealt an early blow when starter Luke Cahill (0-1) was forced to leave with an injury. The Preseason Co-Pitcher of the Year in the Big East lasted just 1.1 innings before giving way to Sam Burum. Burum saved the Pirate bullpen for Saturday's doubleheader by going the rest of the way, allowing four runs over 6.2 innings.
The Carolina defense made two important plays early to maintain control of the game. After Derek Jenkins led off the game for SHU with an infield single, catcher Korey Dunbar threw a perfect strike to snuff out Jenkins' stolen base attempt. Then in the fourth, Ramirez and Alex Raburn combined to retire Zack Weigel, who was trying to score from first on a Kyle Grimm double.
UNC added single runs in the fourth and fifth on an RBI groundout from Logan Warmoth and a sac fly by Landon Lassiter before breaking it open in the seventh. Warmoth was involved then as well, reaching on a two-base error ahead of run-scoring singles from Wood Myers and Skye Bolt.
Trayner, Hansen Butler and A.J. Bogucki combined for 4.2 shutout innings out of the bullpen to secure the victory.
Carolina will send Benton Moss to the mound in Saturday's first game, which is set to begin at 11 a.m. Freshman J.B. Bukauskas will make his Tar Heel debut in the series finale, which will start approximately 40 minutes following the end of game one.
