Unlucky Bounce Leads Baseball To Tough Loss Against BC

Friday, April 21

Chapel Hill, N.C.

6 p.m.

North Carolina

25-13, 9-8

Boston College

25-12, 10-9

Boston College

North Carolina

Photo by: Ainsley E. Fauth

April 21, 2023 | Baseball

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By: UNC Athletics Communications

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Sam McNulty hit a game-winning two-run single in the top of the 10th inning, and Julian Tonghini struck out two with the winning run on second base to give No. 20 Boston College its first win in Chapel Hill with a 9-8 victory over No. 20 North Carolina Friday night.

Peter Burns reached on a one-out error to start the Eagles' rally and advanced to second on a wild pitch before tagging up on a fly out to right. Joe Vetrano intentionally walked and quickly moved into scoring position. McNulty's batted ball headed to the shortstop, but it bounced off the lip of the infield grass and into left field to give Boston College (25-12, 10-9 ACC) a 9-7 lead.

Jackson Van De Brake's two-out RBI single in the bottom of the 10th made it a one-run game and moved the tying run to third base, but Toghini got a called third strike to end the game.

"Everything I saw I liked," UNC head coach Scott Forbes said. "Our guys had great at-bats. We didn't find the gaps in some of those at-bats, but our guys battled from start to finish. We had five to seven balls hit directly on the screws that just went right to them.

"That's what makes baseball so great and what makes it so difficult. We have to flush it and come out tomorrow ready to [play]."

Boston College was 0-17 previously in games played at Boshamer Stadium.

UNC (25-13, 9-8) racked up 16 hits led by Van De Brake, Casey Cook, and Mac Horvath, who collected three apiece. Hunter Stokely and Alberto Osuna each had a pair of hits.

The Tar Heels scored six runs in the first after Boston College plated a pair of runs to start the game. Van De Brake opened the UNC scoring with an RBI single, while Honeycutt hit a three-run homer and Osuna belted a two-run shot.

The Eagles scored three runs in the third and tied the game in the fifth on a two-out RBI single by Vince Cimini.

Cameron Leary hit a solo home run in the top of the ninth, and Van De Brake drove in the tying run in the bottom to send the game into extra innings.

With the winning run at second, Stokely hit a ball into the gap in right-centerfield that was tailing away, but Barry Walsh ran it down to keep the Tar Heels from a walk-off win. Andrew Roman then induced an inning-ending double play.

"We had an opportunity in the ninth, and we usually win those games, but unfortunately, it didn't go our way," Forbes said. "This is a great group; they're a tough group, and I believe in them."

Five UNC relievers combined for eight strikeouts while yielding only two earned runs over the final 6.2 innings, with Matt Poston striking out four in 3.0 innings and Kevin Eaise (2-3) fanning three in 1.2 innings.

Roman (2-0) earned the win, allowing one run on one hit in 2.0 innings, and Tonghini earned his second save.

The series resumes Saturday at 6 p.m. Junior right-hander Connor Bovair (4-1, 4.18) will pitch for the Tar Heels, while righty Chris Flynn (6-1, 3.78) will take the mound for the Eagles.