Tuesday, February 28
Chapel Hill, N.C.
4 p.m.
North Carolina
5-3
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VCU
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9
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VCU
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North Carolina
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Photo by: ANTHONY SORBELLINI
Frick Leads Home Run Assault In Win Over VCU
February 28, 2023 | Baseball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Tomas Frick hit two of No. 13 North Carolina's season-high five home runs, Jake Kanpp struck out six in 4.2 innings and the Tar Heels defeated VCU 10-4 at Boshamer Stadium on Tuesday. It was the first multi-home run game of Frick's career.
The Tar Heels scored six runs across the second, third and fourth innings. Frick and Alberto Osuna went back-to-back in the second and Frick hit a three-run home run in the third inning to push UNC (5-3) out to a 5-0 lead.
Frick has hit three home runs in the last two games after hitting just three home runs during the entire 2022 season.
"Tomas has really committed himself to getting stronger and more physical," UNC head coach Scott Forbes said. "He's been a better listener. He's been in the cages with Coach [Jesse Wierzbicki] and talking about the importance of getting the ball in the air to the pull side. When he's going good, he hits the ball in right-center gap.
"I saw it in the preseason in batting practice and he looked like he was going to have a breakout year."
VCU starter Zachary Peters (1-1) could not get out of the third inning, giving up five runs on five while surrendering each of the Tar Heels' first three home runs.
Vance Honeycutt went deep for the second time in as many games with a solo home run in the fourth inning to get a run back after VCU (2-5) scored a pair of run in the top of half of the frame.
The Rams scratched across two more runs in the fifth before Mac Horvath launched a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to break the game open.
"We want to try to hit those home runs with some guys on base," Forbes said. "Frick with a huge swing of the bat and then Horvath with two outs, that was kind of the dagger for them."
Knapp threw 77 pitches in 4.1 innings, allowing four runs on six hits. Will Sandy, Ben Peterson, Matthew Matthijs and Matt Poston combined for 4.2 scoreless innings of relief with eight strikeouts.
"I thought Jake Knapp was the story today. He was outstanding," Forbes said. "We saw this in Jake when we recruited him; good command, his off-speed is getting better. They jumped him a couple of times on his fastball, but I though he was outstanding.
"We emphasize winning innings six through nine and [our relievers] were outstanding. Sandy got two big outs, [Ben Peterson] was outstanding on the shutdown innings, Matthijs looked great, and Poston looked great. All their velos are starting to jump which is normal here. We don't chase velocity at North Carolina, but we feel that if the guys stick with the program the velocity will be there at the right time."
Peterson (1-0) tossed two scoreless innings and struck out four to earn the victory.
The Tar Heels and Rams will play the second game of their two-game series Wednesday at 4 p.m.
The Tar Heels scored six runs across the second, third and fourth innings. Frick and Alberto Osuna went back-to-back in the second and Frick hit a three-run home run in the third inning to push UNC (5-3) out to a 5-0 lead.
Frick has hit three home runs in the last two games after hitting just three home runs during the entire 2022 season.
"Tomas has really committed himself to getting stronger and more physical," UNC head coach Scott Forbes said. "He's been a better listener. He's been in the cages with Coach [Jesse Wierzbicki] and talking about the importance of getting the ball in the air to the pull side. When he's going good, he hits the ball in right-center gap.
"I saw it in the preseason in batting practice and he looked like he was going to have a breakout year."
VCU starter Zachary Peters (1-1) could not get out of the third inning, giving up five runs on five while surrendering each of the Tar Heels' first three home runs.
Vance Honeycutt went deep for the second time in as many games with a solo home run in the fourth inning to get a run back after VCU (2-5) scored a pair of run in the top of half of the frame.
The Rams scratched across two more runs in the fifth before Mac Horvath launched a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to break the game open.
"We want to try to hit those home runs with some guys on base," Forbes said. "Frick with a huge swing of the bat and then Horvath with two outs, that was kind of the dagger for them."
Knapp threw 77 pitches in 4.1 innings, allowing four runs on six hits. Will Sandy, Ben Peterson, Matthew Matthijs and Matt Poston combined for 4.2 scoreless innings of relief with eight strikeouts.
"I thought Jake Knapp was the story today. He was outstanding," Forbes said. "We saw this in Jake when we recruited him; good command, his off-speed is getting better. They jumped him a couple of times on his fastball, but I though he was outstanding.
"We emphasize winning innings six through nine and [our relievers] were outstanding. Sandy got two big outs, [Ben Peterson] was outstanding on the shutdown innings, Matthijs looked great, and Poston looked great. All their velos are starting to jump which is normal here. We don't chase velocity at North Carolina, but we feel that if the guys stick with the program the velocity will be there at the right time."
Peterson (1-0) tossed two scoreless innings and struck out four to earn the victory.
The Tar Heels and Rams will play the second game of their two-game series Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Peterson, Ben (1-0)
L: Peters, Zachary (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Benzin, Cooper 1
HR: Bean, William 1
RBI: Bean, William 1 ; Carlone, Will 1 ; Amiss, Logan 1 ; Brooks, Ethan 1
SF: Amiss, Logan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mathis, AJ 1 ; Benzin, Cooper 1 ; Bean, William 1 ; Amiss, Logan 1
HBP: Benzin, Cooper 1 ; O'Bryan, Scottie 1
Batting:
2B: Stokely, Hunter 1
HR: Honeycutt, Vance 1 ; Horvath, Mac 1 ; Frick, Tomas 2 ; Osuna, Alberto 1
RBI: Honeycutt, Vance 2 ; Horvath, Mac 3 ; Frick, Tomas 4 ; Osuna, Alberto 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Honeycutt, Vance 1 ; Horvath, Mac 2 ; Cook, Casey 1 ; Frick, Tomas 2 ; Osuna, Alberto 1 ; Alvarez, Patrick 2 ; Wilkerson, Colby 1
SB: Horvath, Mac 2
CS: Osuna, Alberto 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
3
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
4
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C
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RHP
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1B/DH
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RHP
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RHP
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LHP
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