Dalatri Dazzles In 3-1 Win At Pitt

Saturday, April 22

Pittsburgh, Pa.

3:00 PM

North Carolina

31-8, 16-4

Pittsburgh

16-20, 7-13

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
North Carolina	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	3	3	0
Pittsburgh	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	3	1

April 22, 2017 | Baseball

Box Score

By: UNC Athletic Communications

PITTSBURGH --- Gianluca Dalatri outdueled Josh Falk to earn his third straight win as No. 3 North Carolina clinched its seventh consecutive series with a 3-1 victory over Pittsburgh Saturday afternoon at Cost Field. Dalatri pitched a career-best 8.2 innings and allowed just three hits on a day when offense was at a premium for both teams.

Brandon Riley broke up Falk's no-hitter in the eighth and scored on a wild pitch to give Carolina (31-8, 16-4 ACC) the first run of the game. Brian Miller then delivered a two-out, two-run double to put the Tar Heels up 3-0.

Those extra runs loomed large when Nick Banman singled home a run to end Dalatri's bid for a complete-game shutout with two gone in the ninth. Josh Hiatt then entered with the tying run at the plate and struck out P.J. DeMeo to secure his 12th save in 14 chances.

Only a Caleb Parry bloop single in the first prevented a double no-hit bid through six as Dalatri and Falk were both dominant. Pitt (16-20, 7-13 ACC) had its most promising opportunity in the seventh when Dalatri walked Frank Maldonado to lead off the inning. But Cody Roberts threw out Maldonado on a pitch out - the sophomore backstop's second runner erased on the day - to render DeMeo's two-out double harmless.

The Tar Heels loaded the bases with none out in the eighth. Riley led off the frame by legging out an infield hit, UNC's first of the day. Falk then hit Roberts ahead of a Tyler Lynn single. Falk, however, was on the verge of getting out of the jam before his wild pitch skidded past Manny Pazos to allow Riley to score from third. Miller's two-run double provided important insurance runs.

Dalatri has now pitched at least eight innings in four of his 10 career starts, and the freshman from Wall Township, New Jersey, continues to lead the ACC in innings pitched. In improving to 5-2 on the year, Dalatri lowered his ERA to 2.22 in 69 innings of work.

With his second save of the weekend and 12th of 2017, Hiatt moved into a tie for fifth on the UNC single-season list with Thad Chrismon (1995) and Derrick DePriest (2000). Michael Morin established the school record with 19 saves in 2012.

Falk (3-5) was once again a hard-luck loser for the Panthers despite allowing just three hits over eight innings and striking out nine.

Carolina, which clinched a winning conference record for the first time since the 2013 squad finished 21-7, will go for the sweep Sunday at noon.