No. 3 Carolina Opens Series With 5-2 Win At Pitt

Friday, April 21

Pittsburgh, Pa.

6:00 PM

North Carolina

30-8, 15-4-0

Pittsburgh

16-19, 7-12-0

North Carolina

Pittsburgh

April 22, 2017 | Baseball

Box Score

By: UNC Athletic Communications

PITTSBURGH --- Tyler Lynn had three hits and drove in three runs to lead No. 3 North Carolina past Pittsburgh 5-2 Friday night at Cost Field. J.B. Bukauskas allowed two runs on five hits and struck out eight over 6.2 innings to improve to 7-0 on the year as the Tar Heels reached the 30-win mark for the 20th consecutive season.

Brandon Riley added three hits of his own and Josh Hiatt worked the final 2.1 innings for his 11th save of the year. The win was the seventh straight for Carolina (30-8, 15-4 ACC) to open a league series and it also clinched a spot for the Tar Heels in the 2017 ACC Baseball Championship next month in Louisville.

Pitt (16-19, 7-12 ACC) got off to a dream start as Jacob Wright led off the home half of the first with a towering home run to right. But Bukauskas was his dominant self from there, allowing just four singles and pushing his season strikeout total to 89. The junior right-hander retired nine straight at one point and didn't allow a Panther to advance past second until Pitt scored in the seventh.

Hiatt entered after a dropped third strike loaded the bases, but the freshman closer got Frank Maldonado to ground out to third to end the threat. Hiatt allowed just a pair of walks over the final two innings to pick up his 11th save and move into sole possession of seventh place on the UNC single-season list.

Lynn's first hit of the day started the scoring for Carolina in a three-run fourth. The senior outfielder singled home Riley, who scored just ahead of the throw from Nico Popa. Logan Warmoth gave the Tar Heels the lead for good later in the frame with a two-run single back up the box off Pitt starter Josh Mitchell (1-4).

Lynn doubled home Riley in the fifth and then singled home Kyle Datres in the seventh to push the UNC lead to 5-1.

Pitt got the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but Hiatt froze Yaya Chentouf to end it.

The series continues Saturday at 3 p.m.