University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Notre Dame
No. 17 Tar Heels Claim Series With 8-1 Win Over Notre Dame
May 17, 2016 | Baseball
CHAPEL HILL --- A.J. Bogucki tossed five hitless innings of shutout relief and Kyle Datres clubbed his third home run of the year as No. 17 North Carolina closed out its home schedule with a resounding 8-1 win over Notre Dame Monday night at Boshamer Stadium. Datres and Brian Miller both had three hits for the Tar Heels, who moved into a tie for ninth place in the ACC entering the season's final weekend.
Carolina (33-19, 12-15 ACC) broke open the game with a seven-run bottom of the second against a trio of Notre Dame pitchers. Starter Connor Hock (0-1) left after a leadoff walk to Eli Sutherland before the Tar Heels tagged Brad Bass for three hits and five runs. Brian Miller and Zack Gahagan had two-run doubles sandwiched around a Tyler Ramirez walk and a Logan Warmoth RBI single. Brandon Riley's double off Ryan Smoyer made it 7-0 and the Tar Heels were able to maintain a comfortable lead throughout.
Bogucki (5-5) took over from Jason Morgan with two on in the fourth and was immediately aided by some outstanding defense. Ramirez laid out for a diving grab of a Ryan Lidge liner and then scrambled to his feet to double off Matt Vierling. That play came an inning after Gahagan's diving stop resulted in an unassisted double play. Bogucki didn't need much help after that, however, as the junior retired 12 of the final 14 batters he faced.
Datres made it 8-0 in the fifth in emphatic style, launching a long solo homer to left off Peter Solomon. Notre Dame (27-14, 11-14 ACC) used seven pitchers on the night, with Evy Ruibal, Jake Shepski and Vierling each working scoreless innings late.
Torii Hunter Jr.'s first career RBI spoiled the shutout bid in the ninth, but Hansen Butler got Cavan Biggio to foul out with the bases loaded to end it and give Carolina its first series win in more than a month.
Miller, Gahagan and Riley each drove in two runs for the Tar Heels, who doubled up the Irish in the hit column 12-6.
UNC will conclude its regular season slate with a three-game series at NC State starting Thursday at 6 p.m.
