University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Virginia Tech
Bukauskas Lifts No. 11 UNC To 4-1 Win
April 10, 2016 | Baseball
CHAPEL HILL --- J.B. Bukauskas carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and struck out 13 to improve to 5-1 on the year as No. 11 North Carolina beat Virginia Tech 4-1 Saturday night at Boshamer Stadium. Bukauskas struck out the side in three straight innings and allowed just two hits over 7.1 dominant innings of work. Eli Sutherland, Cody Roberts and Logan Warmoth drove in runs for the Tar Heels, who will go for their second ACC sweep of the year Sunday at 1 p.m.
After a leadoff walk to Saige Jenco, Bukauskas (5-1) retired 12 in a row over the next four frames. The 1-2-3 fourth inning started a run of nine straight outs by strikeout, including three straight swinging Ks to close out the top of the fifth.
Carolina (23-8, 8-6 ACC) broke through against Tech starter Jon Woodcock with single runs in the fourth and fifth. Tyler Ramirez opened the fourth with a single and moved up on Logan Warmoth's long fly ball to center. Two batters later, Cody Roberts singled to left to make it 1-0. Warmoth's sac fly plated Brian Miller, who singled to lead off the fifth and moved to third on his 17th stolen base of the year.
Meanwhile, Bukauskas kept the Hokies (10-22, 1-13 ACC) at bay. Ryan Tufts broke up the no-hitter with a leadoff single in the sixth, and the VT shortstop ended Bukauskas' bid for a second straight shutout with a solo homer in the eighth.
Eli Sutherland's bases-loaded single drove in two runs in the seventh, providing plenty of cushion for the UNC bullpen. Brett Daniels replaced Bukauskas in the eighth and got a double play to end the inning, stranding one. A.J. Bogucki took over with two on in the ninth and got back-to-back strikeouts to lock up his first career save.
Carolina will send Jason Morgan to the hill Sunday afternoon at 1 in the series finale opposite Virginia Tech's Packy Naughton.
