University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Pittsburgh
March 11, 2016 | Baseball
CHAPEL HILL --- Zac Gallen struck out eight over 8.0 innings of one-run baseball and North Carolina had its biggest ACC output in three seasons as the No. 6 Tar Heels beat Pittsburgh 14-2 Friday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium in the conference opener for both teams. Brian Miller had three hits, including his first career home run, to pace a Carolina offensive attack that produced double-digit runs for the fifth time in six games.
Tyler Ramirez and Eli Sutherland also had three hits each for the Tar Heels, who have now won 10 games in a row for the first time since the 2013 team won 14 straight. That 2013 squad was also the last to beat an ACC foe in such emphatic fashion, the 14-2 victory Friday the biggest in terms of margin of victory and runs scored since a 21-8 win at Virginia Tech during the aforementioned 14-game winning streak.
Gallen was masterful against a team that roughed him up for eight runs in 3.2 innings nearly a year ago to the day. But the junior righthander continued his stellar start to 2016 by facing just four beyond the minimum through eight innings and lowered his ERA to 1.19. He also upped his league-leading strikeout total to 34 against just six walks in handing the Panthers (6-5, 0-1 ACC) their fourth straight loss.
Carolina (11-1, 1-0 ACC) broke open a close game with an 8-run fifth during which the Tar Heels sent 12 men to the plate. Miller had two of his three hits in the inning, including a two-run double that made the score 11-1. He capped the UNC scoring in style in the seventh, blasting his first career homer deep to right.
Brett Daniels got the final three outs of the game on just six pitches, with a double play started by Sutherland and turned by Logan Warmoth ending it. Sutherland continued his torrid start with a pair of doubles and three RBIs, raising his batting average to .455 and his slugging percentage to .955.
Cody Roberts helped minimize what little traffic there was on the bases by throwing out a pair of runners, including on a double play to end the fifth.
The series continues Saturday at 2 p.m.
