Diamond Heels Blank UVA To Earn Doubleheader Split

Saturday, March 11

Chapel Hill, N.C.

1 p.m.

North Carolina

11-5, 0-2

Virginia

14-0, 2-0

Virginia

North Carolina

March 11, 2023 | Baseball

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By: UNC Athletics Communications

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Jake Knapp and Matt Poston combined on a five-hit shutout and Mac Horvath drove in three runs to give No. 14 North Carolina a 6-0 win over No. 17 Virginia on Saturday to earn a doubleheader split between ACC Coastal Division foes and send the Cavaliers to their first loss of the season.

It was the first time North Carolina (12-5, 1-2 ACC) blanked Virginia (13-1, 2-1 ACC) since 2011.

"That's a big win, a character win," UNC head coach Scott Forbes said. "I tip my hat to Virginia, I thought they played well. I thought that last game we played a complete game. The margin in this league is so razor thin, if you don't play a complete game you won't win."

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth when UNC pushed across two runs. Casey Cook, who made a dazzling catch to end the top half of the inning, earned a one-out walk before Colby Wilkerson drew a two-out base on balls. Vance Honeycutt and Horvath followed with RBI singles to break the scoreless tie.

The Tar Heels added another run in the sixth and Horvath smashed a two-run homer in the seventh to give UNC some added insurance.

Johnny Castagnozzi hit his first home run of the season in the eighth to cap the scoring.

Knapp pitched one out into the fifth before Poston entered after the Cavaliers put two runners aboard. Catcher Tomas Frick threw out Ethan O'Donnell trying to steal third and Cook robbed Kyle Teel of home run to end the inning.

Poston (2-0) pitched the final 4.2 innings, only allowing only two hits with three strikeouts and a walk. He worked a 1-2-3 sixth and eighth inning and worked around a pair of base runners in the seventh and ninth inning.

Poston has not allowed a run in 13.2 innings pitched and has 12 strikeouts against three walks with four hits allowed.

"Knapp is not your average Sunday starter," Forbes said. "He can pitch on Friday. He may pitch on Friday for us, who knows; but you want guys nipping at each other's heels. Both those guys were outstanding. Poston just keeps doing it."

UVA junior Ethan Anderson's two-run double in the seventh inning broke a 3-3 tie and lifted the Cavaliers to an 8-4 win in the opener. Anderson scored the third run of the frame on sacrifice fly then UVA added a pair of runs in the eighth.

The Tar Heels led 3-0 heading into the fifth after scoring three runs in the first on consecutive RBI hits from Van De Brake, Frick and Osuna. Anderson and Casey Saucke collected RBI singles in the fifth for before O'Donnell tied the game with a two-out solo home run in the sixth.

Jake Hodorovich (1-0) picked up the win in 1.1 innings pitched with a pair of strikeouts. Connor Bovair (1-1) took the loss.

North Carolina returns to the diamond Tuesday, March 14, against Charlotte. The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Robert and Mariam Hayes Baseball Stadium on the Charlotte campus.