Sunday, March 20
Durham, NC
1 p.m.
North Carolina
17-3, 0
4
at
1
Duke
11-9, 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
North Carolina
0
0
2
0
0
1
0
1
0
4
12
1
Duke
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
3
0
Connor Bovair picked up the win
Photo by: Joe Bray
Bovair Pitches UNC To Series Win Over Duke
March 20, 2022 | Baseball
DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina scored two runs in the second inning which gave starting pitcher Connor Bovair all the run support he needed as the Diamond Heels posted a 4-1 victory over Duke Sunday at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
The win gave No. 15 North Carolina (17-3, 5-1 ACC) a 2-1 series win over the homestanding Blue Devils.
After issuing a four-pitch walk to Chris Davis to lead off the bottom of the first, Bovair (2-1) retired the next nine batters in order before issuing another base on balls. He then sat down next three batters in a row and took a no-hitter into the fifth inning.
Duke designated hitter Chris Crabtree broke up Bovair's no-hitter in the fifth and the Blue Devils (11-9, 2-4) scored their lone run of the game during the inning, cutting Carolina's lead in half.
The Diamond Heels' quickly got that run back as Mac Horvath homered to lead off the sixth inning. Vance Honeycutt, who homered to lead off the third inning, added an insurance run with an RBI-double in the eighth inning.
Kyle Mott came on in relief of Bovair in the seventh with a runner aboard and promptly induced a double play and a ground out to third, turning the Blue Devils aside on three pitches.
Bovair tossed a season-high six innings and struck out six, while surrendering just two hits for his second win in Carolina uniform.
In eighth inning, Mott struck out the tying run and the go-ahead run looking to stymie another potential Duke rally.
Senior Caden O'Brien came on to close out the game in the ninth inning and retired the side on six pitches to earn his fourth save of the season.
Billy Seidl (1-1) suffered the loss after surrendering three runs on nine hits in 5.0 innings pitched.
NOTABLES
• Carolina has won three straight series over the Duke dating back to 2019 and seven of the last nine games in the series.
• Diamond Heel pitchers allowed just three hits and one run in the final 14 innings of the series.
• Angel Zarate singled in his first at-bat to extend his on-base streak record to 43 games and his hitting streak to 20 games.
• Honeycutt hit his team-leading eighth home run of the season and second of the series.
• Horvath hit this third home run of the season.
• Five players collected multiple hits for the Diamond Heels. The top seven hitters in the order were a combined 12-for-33 and each got at least one hit.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Honeycutt led off the third inning with a home run to open the scoring (UNC 1, DU 0).
• Frick singled to right field with two outs in the third to drive home Zarate from third base (UNC 2, DU 0).
• Duke got on the scoreboard in bottom of the fifth inning with an RBI-single from Will Hoyle that dropped into shallow left field (UNC 2, DU 1).
• Horvath got the run back for the Diamond Heels with a home run to lead off the sixth (UNC 3, DU 1).
• Honeycutt drove in his second run of the game in the top of the eighth with a double to right-center field, scoring Joe Jackonski (UNC 4, Duke 1).
UP NEXT
The Diamond Heels return to Boshamer Stadium on Tuesday night to take on Appalachian State. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
The win gave No. 15 North Carolina (17-3, 5-1 ACC) a 2-1 series win over the homestanding Blue Devils.
After issuing a four-pitch walk to Chris Davis to lead off the bottom of the first, Bovair (2-1) retired the next nine batters in order before issuing another base on balls. He then sat down next three batters in a row and took a no-hitter into the fifth inning.
Duke designated hitter Chris Crabtree broke up Bovair's no-hitter in the fifth and the Blue Devils (11-9, 2-4) scored their lone run of the game during the inning, cutting Carolina's lead in half.
The Diamond Heels' quickly got that run back as Mac Horvath homered to lead off the sixth inning. Vance Honeycutt, who homered to lead off the third inning, added an insurance run with an RBI-double in the eighth inning.
Kyle Mott came on in relief of Bovair in the seventh with a runner aboard and promptly induced a double play and a ground out to third, turning the Blue Devils aside on three pitches.
Bovair tossed a season-high six innings and struck out six, while surrendering just two hits for his second win in Carolina uniform.
In eighth inning, Mott struck out the tying run and the go-ahead run looking to stymie another potential Duke rally.
Senior Caden O'Brien came on to close out the game in the ninth inning and retired the side on six pitches to earn his fourth save of the season.
Billy Seidl (1-1) suffered the loss after surrendering three runs on nine hits in 5.0 innings pitched.
NOTABLES
• Carolina has won three straight series over the Duke dating back to 2019 and seven of the last nine games in the series.
• Diamond Heel pitchers allowed just three hits and one run in the final 14 innings of the series.
• Angel Zarate singled in his first at-bat to extend his on-base streak record to 43 games and his hitting streak to 20 games.
• Honeycutt hit his team-leading eighth home run of the season and second of the series.
• Horvath hit this third home run of the season.
• Five players collected multiple hits for the Diamond Heels. The top seven hitters in the order were a combined 12-for-33 and each got at least one hit.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Honeycutt led off the third inning with a home run to open the scoring (UNC 1, DU 0).
• Frick singled to right field with two outs in the third to drive home Zarate from third base (UNC 2, DU 0).
• Duke got on the scoreboard in bottom of the fifth inning with an RBI-single from Will Hoyle that dropped into shallow left field (UNC 2, DU 1).
• Horvath got the run back for the Diamond Heels with a home run to lead off the sixth (UNC 3, DU 1).
• Honeycutt drove in his second run of the game in the top of the eighth with a double to right-center field, scoring Joe Jackonski (UNC 4, Duke 1).
UP NEXT
The Diamond Heels return to Boshamer Stadium on Tuesday night to take on Appalachian State. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Bovair, Connor (2-1)
L: Seidl,Billy (1-1)
S: O'Brien, Caden (4)
Batting:
2B: Honeycutt, Vance 1 ; Zarate, Angel 1 ; Castagnozzi, Johnny 1 ; Serretti, Danny 1
HR: Honeycutt, Vance 1 ; Horvath, Mac 1
RBI: Honeycutt, Vance 2 ; Frick, Tomas 1 ; Horvath, Mac 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Honeycutt, Vance 1 ; Zarate, Angel 1 ; Horvath, Mac 1 ; Jaconski, Joe 1
SB: Horvath, Mac 1
Batting:
RBI: Hoyle,Wil 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Stone,Alex 1
SB: Hoyle,Wil 1
HBP: Storm,Luke 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
RHP
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/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
OF
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