University of North Carolina Athletics
Friday, February 14
Chapel Hill, N.C.
3 p.m.
North Carolina
1-0
15
vs
3
Middle Tennessee
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4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Blue Raiders
0
2
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
3
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4
North Carolina
0
3
2
5
0
0
0
5
X
15
10
1
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Lancellotti Hits, Pitches Tar Heels to Game 1 Win
February 14, 2020 | Baseball
Freshman Grintz Drives in Four
Junior righthander Joey Lancellotti struck out five in five and a third innings and added two hits and two runs batted in and freshman catcher Eric Grintz had a pair of two-run doubles in his college debut to lead the University of North Carolina to a 15-3 win over Middle Tennessee Friday at Boshamer Stadium.
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The game was the first of the season for both teams. The series resumes Saturday at 2 p.m. and concludes Sunday at 1 p.m.
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Lancellotti (1-0) made his fourth career start, allowing just two hits and two runs in the longest stint of his career in 56 collegiate appearances. The five strikeouts matched his career high and none were bigger than the back-to-back ones he got to end the third inning when the Blue Raiders had the tying and go-ahead runs on second and third with one out. Those strikeouts began a string of nine straight outs retired by Lancellotti. When he walked consecutive batters in the sixth, he came out of the game.
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"I was so excited being in the bullpen for two years and getting this opportunity to prep the season as a starter was awesome," says Lancellotti. "I've been looking forward to it for weeks now, it's just awesome that it's finally here now. We definitely have high expectations coming into the season so you always want to get out there and get the first win."
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A trio of newcomers – Davis Palermo, Kyle Mott and Austin Elliott – pitched hitless ball over the final three and two-thirds innings.
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Grintz led a 10-hit attack for the Tar Heels. His two-run double in his first collegiate at-bat tied the game at two in the second and his second two-run double came in a five-run eighth inning.
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"I had a little bit of nerves to start, but once I saw everybody out there I kind of cooled off, settled down a little bit," says Grintz. "We've got a lot of new leaders back there and they really helped me keep my nerves in check today. My thought was to just see the ball in the middle and take a good swing at it."
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Grintz, Lancellotti, shortstop Danny Serretti and left fielder Angel Zarate each had two hits for the Tar Heels. Lancellotti had only one collegiate at-bat in his first two seasons, but started the game as both pitcher and designated hitter. He remained in the game as the DH after being lifted in the sixth. He rapped a two-run double in the fourth inning that extended UNC's lead to 10-2 and added a single in the sixth.
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Serretti and preseason All-America Aaron Sabato each scored three times for the Tar Heels. Â Serretti had two hits and reached on one of four MTSU errors; Sabato walked twice and also reached on an error.
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"It's just nice to get the season started," says UNC head coach Mike Fox, in his 22nd season at Carolina. "I'm not going to do too much critiquing of game one. It's just get out on the field and play. It's nice to see some firsts. That's the first appearance for Eric Grintz, Mikey Madej, and we ran three relievers out there - Mott, Palermo and Austin Elliott – that had not pitched here before. So that's good to see guys that didn't play last year, red-shirted and worked that hard to get out there and play.
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"(Joey) had a good day. I was probably more impressed with him at the plate because he hadn't hit in three years. But he has a chance to help us, that's obviously why he's in the five hole. But he gave us a good start. I thought he settled in there, thought he tried to do a little too much, throw too hard to open the game."
Sophomore Will Sandy will make the start for the Tar Heels Saturday in the second game of the series.
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The game was the first of the season for both teams. The series resumes Saturday at 2 p.m. and concludes Sunday at 1 p.m.
Â
Lancellotti (1-0) made his fourth career start, allowing just two hits and two runs in the longest stint of his career in 56 collegiate appearances. The five strikeouts matched his career high and none were bigger than the back-to-back ones he got to end the third inning when the Blue Raiders had the tying and go-ahead runs on second and third with one out. Those strikeouts began a string of nine straight outs retired by Lancellotti. When he walked consecutive batters in the sixth, he came out of the game.
Â
"I was so excited being in the bullpen for two years and getting this opportunity to prep the season as a starter was awesome," says Lancellotti. "I've been looking forward to it for weeks now, it's just awesome that it's finally here now. We definitely have high expectations coming into the season so you always want to get out there and get the first win."
Â
A trio of newcomers – Davis Palermo, Kyle Mott and Austin Elliott – pitched hitless ball over the final three and two-thirds innings.
Â
Grintz led a 10-hit attack for the Tar Heels. His two-run double in his first collegiate at-bat tied the game at two in the second and his second two-run double came in a five-run eighth inning.
Â
"I had a little bit of nerves to start, but once I saw everybody out there I kind of cooled off, settled down a little bit," says Grintz. "We've got a lot of new leaders back there and they really helped me keep my nerves in check today. My thought was to just see the ball in the middle and take a good swing at it."
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Grintz, Lancellotti, shortstop Danny Serretti and left fielder Angel Zarate each had two hits for the Tar Heels. Lancellotti had only one collegiate at-bat in his first two seasons, but started the game as both pitcher and designated hitter. He remained in the game as the DH after being lifted in the sixth. He rapped a two-run double in the fourth inning that extended UNC's lead to 10-2 and added a single in the sixth.
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Serretti and preseason All-America Aaron Sabato each scored three times for the Tar Heels. Â Serretti had two hits and reached on one of four MTSU errors; Sabato walked twice and also reached on an error.
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"It's just nice to get the season started," says UNC head coach Mike Fox, in his 22nd season at Carolina. "I'm not going to do too much critiquing of game one. It's just get out on the field and play. It's nice to see some firsts. That's the first appearance for Eric Grintz, Mikey Madej, and we ran three relievers out there - Mott, Palermo and Austin Elliott – that had not pitched here before. So that's good to see guys that didn't play last year, red-shirted and worked that hard to get out there and play.
Â
"(Joey) had a good day. I was probably more impressed with him at the plate because he hadn't hit in three years. But he has a chance to help us, that's obviously why he's in the five hole. But he gave us a good start. I thought he settled in there, thought he tried to do a little too much, throw too hard to open the game."
Sophomore Will Sandy will make the start for the Tar Heels Saturday in the second game of the series.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lancellotti, Joey (1-0)
L: Aaron Brown (0-1)
Batting:
HR: Nathan Sanders 1
RBI: Nathan Sanders 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Jake Hagenow 1 ; Nathan Sanders 1 ; Greg Bennett 1
SB: Cole Escher 1 ; Greg Bennett 1
HBP: Cole Escher 1 ; Nathan Sanders 1
Batting:
2B: Lancellotti, Joey 1 ; Grintz, Eric 2
RBI: Sabato, Aaron 1 ; Serretti, Danny 2 ; Lancellotti, Joey 2 ; Stewart, Will 1 ; Zarate, Angel 2 ; Alvarez, Patrick 1 ; Grintz, Eric 4 ; Madej, Mikey 1
SF: Alvarez, Patrick 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Harris, Dylan 2 ; Sabato, Aaron 3 ; Serretti, Danny 3 ; Roberts, Caleb 1 ; Tessar, Dallas 1 ; Lancellotti, Joey 1 ; Stewart, Will 1 ; Alvarez, Patrick 1 ; Grintz, Eric 1 ; Madej, Mikey 1
HBP: Alvarez, Patrick 1 ; Madej, Mikey 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
3
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
2
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
4
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ BaseballC
/ BaseballRHP
/ Baseball
2B
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
1B
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballSS
/ BaseballOF
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