Austin Love Strikes Out 12 As UNC Falls 6-2, 3-2 To No. 19 Pitt

Saturday, April 17

Pittsburgh, PA

1 PM

North Carolina

17-14, 11-11

Pittsburgh

19-10, 13-9

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
North Carolina	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	9	1
Pittsburgh	3	0	0	0	1	0	1	1	X	6	10	0

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

Photo by: Katie Meyers

Austin Love Strikes Out 12 As UNC Falls 6-2, 3-2 To No. 19 Pitt

April 17, 2021 | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Aury St. Germain

PITTSBURGH – Austin Love tallied 12 strikeouts in his game two start as North Carolina (17-15, 11-12) fell 6-2 in game one and 3-2 in game two to No. 19 Pittsburgh (20-10, 14-9) in Saturday's doubleheader.

Game one

A two-run home run and an RBI double gave Pittsburgh a 3-0 advantage after the first inning of play. Carolina answered with a run in the second, an RBI single from Brett Centracchio, but the Tar Heels grounded into a double play with the bases loaded to end the frame.

Carolina cut the lead to one run in the third when a sacrifice fly off of the bat of Justice Thompson plated Dallas Tessar, who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning.

Tessar showed off his arm in the fourth inning when he threw out a runner trying to advance home on a fly ball and ended the inning with his assist.

Scoreless until the fifth, Pittsburgh pushed its lead back to two runs with a solo home run in the frame. The score held 4-2 entering the sixth inning.

The Panthers extended their lead to three in the seventh inning after taking advantage of a walk, two wild pitches, and a passed ball. Pitt tacked on another run in the eighth to push it to 6-2 with a sacrifice fly to center field.

Thompson and Tomas Frick paced the Tar Heel offense with two hits apiece.

Connor Ollio started the game for the North Carolina on the mound and suffered the decision. He threw 2.1 innings, which yielded five hits, three runs, one walk and a strikeout. Shawn Rapp saw the most time on the bump (3.2 innings) and surrendered four hits and two runs. He did not issue a walk and struck out three.

Game Two

After two scoreless innings to begin the second game of the day, Clemente Inclan gave the Tar Heels the first lead of the game with a one-out solo home run to right field. After hitting a pinch-hit double in the first game, Inclan mashed his first home run since March 14 against Clemson.

Dann Serretti continued the Tar Heels' success at the plate in the third inning with a two-out double down the right-field line to score Tessar.

Pittsburgh responded with a three-run third inning that included an RBI double to left field and an RBI single to center to take a one-run lead.

The Tar Heels threatened in the sixth inning with two on and two outs but each were stranded.

Pry came in relief of Love in the sixth frame and threw the remainder of the game. He finished with 1.2 inning pitched, no runs, two strikeouts and one walk.

Love ended his day throwing 6.1 innings, which yielded three runs, three hits, four walks, and 12 strikeouts. His strikeout total tied his career high.

Game two marked just the third time this season that the Tar Heels were out-hit and lost.

Game three will take place tomorrow at 1 p.m.