Tuesday, March 21
Chapel Hill, N.C.
4 p.m.
North Carolina
16-5
6
vs
4
North Carolina A&T
10-10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
North Carolina A&T
2
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
4
6
0
North Carolina
3
0
2
0
0
0
0
1
X
6
9
1
Photo by: AINSLEY E. FAUTH
Bullpen Holds Off North Carolina A&T
March 21, 2023 | Baseball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Alberto Osuna and Hunter Stokely hit two-run homers, and Vance Honeycutt led off with a solo shot as No. 15 North Carolina held on to defeat North Carolina A&T 6-4 on Tuesday afternoon to earn its fifth consecutive win.
The Tar Heels improved to 9-0 in midweek non-conference games this season and won their 10 straight non-conference game of the year.
"That was a good team win after a long, hard road trip," UNC head coach Scott Forbes said. "I knew today was a big game with Duke coming and I didn't want our guys to look by them. I thought A&T played hard the whole game and didn't quit, and that's what you expect when people come here."
Stokely hit a two-run homer in the third inning and drove home Casey Cook in the eighth with an insurance run. He finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a walk. Honeycutt also collected two hits, but North Carolina A&T (10-10) held the Tar Heels to less than 10 hits for the first time in three games.
Tre Williams, who drove in all four of the Aggies' runs, knocked in the first two runs of the game in the first with a two-run double off UNC starter Jake Knapp, who gave up two runs, two hits, walked two and struck out a pair in his lone inning of work.
Honeycutt belted a 3-2 pitch out of the park to lead off the bottom half of the inning. After Tomas Frick was hit by a pitch, Osuna hit a two-run blast that gave UNC the lead.
North Carolina (16-5) scored five of its six runs courtesy of the long ball.
Fifth-year senior Will Sandy (2-0) earned his second straight win, striking out five in 3.0 innings pitched. He retired the first seven batters he faced before Williams hit a solo shot with one out in the fourth inning. Two of the next three batters reached base, and the Aggies brought the tying run to the plate, but Sandy got Shemar Dalton to ground out to end the inning. He surrendered one run on two hits without issuing a walk.
Six Tar Heel relievers combined to allow two runs on three hits with one walk and 12 strikeouts in the final 8.0 innings. Right-hander Kevin Eaise followed Sandy and tossed 3.0 scoreless and hitless innings while fanning a trio of batters.
Williams brought the Aggies within a run with an RBI double in the eighth. Anthony Hennings drew a two-out walk, which brought Chris Moss to the plate with the chance to put N.C. A&T ahead, but Dalton Pence emerged from the UNC bullpen and struck him out on five pitches.
Junior Matt Poston pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his first save. N.C. A&T starter Daniel Carter (1-1) took the loss, allowing three runs on three hits with three walks in 2.0 innings pitched.
The Tar Heels return to the diamond at Boshamer Stadium on Thursday, March 23, against ACC Coastal Division foe Duke. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. and televised on the ACC Network.
The Tar Heels improved to 9-0 in midweek non-conference games this season and won their 10 straight non-conference game of the year.
"That was a good team win after a long, hard road trip," UNC head coach Scott Forbes said. "I knew today was a big game with Duke coming and I didn't want our guys to look by them. I thought A&T played hard the whole game and didn't quit, and that's what you expect when people come here."
Stokely hit a two-run homer in the third inning and drove home Casey Cook in the eighth with an insurance run. He finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a walk. Honeycutt also collected two hits, but North Carolina A&T (10-10) held the Tar Heels to less than 10 hits for the first time in three games.
Tre Williams, who drove in all four of the Aggies' runs, knocked in the first two runs of the game in the first with a two-run double off UNC starter Jake Knapp, who gave up two runs, two hits, walked two and struck out a pair in his lone inning of work.
Honeycutt belted a 3-2 pitch out of the park to lead off the bottom half of the inning. After Tomas Frick was hit by a pitch, Osuna hit a two-run blast that gave UNC the lead.
North Carolina (16-5) scored five of its six runs courtesy of the long ball.
Fifth-year senior Will Sandy (2-0) earned his second straight win, striking out five in 3.0 innings pitched. He retired the first seven batters he faced before Williams hit a solo shot with one out in the fourth inning. Two of the next three batters reached base, and the Aggies brought the tying run to the plate, but Sandy got Shemar Dalton to ground out to end the inning. He surrendered one run on two hits without issuing a walk.
Six Tar Heel relievers combined to allow two runs on three hits with one walk and 12 strikeouts in the final 8.0 innings. Right-hander Kevin Eaise followed Sandy and tossed 3.0 scoreless and hitless innings while fanning a trio of batters.
Williams brought the Aggies within a run with an RBI double in the eighth. Anthony Hennings drew a two-out walk, which brought Chris Moss to the plate with the chance to put N.C. A&T ahead, but Dalton Pence emerged from the UNC bullpen and struck him out on five pitches.
Junior Matt Poston pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his first save. N.C. A&T starter Daniel Carter (1-1) took the loss, allowing three runs on three hits with three walks in 2.0 innings pitched.
The Tar Heels return to the diamond at Boshamer Stadium on Thursday, March 23, against ACC Coastal Division foe Duke. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. and televised on the ACC Network.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Sandy, Will (2-0)
L: CARTER, Daniel (1-1)
S: Poston, Matt (1)
Batting:
2B: WILLIAMS,Tre 1
HR: WILLIAMS,Tre 1
RBI: WILLIAMS,Tre 4
Base Running:
RUNS: DALTON, Shemar 1 ; JACKSON, Camden 1 ; BROWN, Canyon 1 ; WILLIAMS,Tre 1
SB: HENNINGS, Anthony 1
HBP: BROWN, Canyon 1 ; ROANE, Sabin 1
Batting:
HR: Honeycutt, Vance 1 ; Osuna, Alberto 1 ; Stokely, Hunter 1
RBI: Honeycutt, Vance 1 ; Osuna, Alberto 2 ; Stokely, Hunter 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Honeycutt, Vance 1 ; Frick, Tomas 1 ; Osuna, Alberto 1 ; Cook, Casey 2 ; Stokely, Hunter 1
CS: Honeycutt, Vance 1
HBP: Van De Brake, Jackson 1 ; Frick, Tomas 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
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