University of North Carolina Athletics
Wednesday, May 3
Greenville, N.C.
5 p.m.
North Carolina
29-17
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East Carolina
31-14
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9
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North Carolina
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East Carolina
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Diamond Heels Win Pitcher's Duel Against ECU
May 3, 2023 | Baseball
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Vance Honeycutt homered, Hunter Stokely drove in the game-winning run and North Carolina defeated No. 14 East Carolina 2-1 at Clark-LeClair Stadium on Wednesday.
Honeycutt hit a solo shot to left field off ECU starter Garrett Saylor with one out in the fourth inning. The Pirates tied the game in the bottom half of the frame on a single by Jackson Jenkins-Cowart.
Stokely drove home the game-winning run in the sixth inning, beating a return throw from second base to avoid the double play as Jackson Van De Brake raced home. Van De Brake walked to start the inning, then Honeycutt reached on a dropped fly ball and Mac Horvath loaded the bases with a single to right.
Three UNC pitchers combined on a four-hitter and issued just three free passes. Max Carlson earned his first career save, working three hitless innings with a pair of strikeouts. Dalton Pence (4-1) picked up the win with 2.0 innings pitched after starter Connor Bovair tossed 4.0 innings, allowing one run on three hits with two strikeouts.
"We've lost so many one-run games; we just needed to find a way to win one," UNC head coach Scott Forbes said. "It's how Coach Gaines and I scripted it out; we just didn't know if it would go like that, but because they performed, it went like that.
"I'm so happy for our players because these guys are an unbelievable group."
Carlson retired the final eight men he faced, getting a pair of ninth-inning ground outs to end the game.
"Max Carlson is a big game pitcher, and he's not scared of anybody," Forbes said. "That's the guy you want out there to end the game, and he got it done."
ECU reliever Jake Hunter (3-2) took the loss.
A pitch hit by Casey Cook in the seventh extended his on-base streak to 34 games.
The Tar Heels will return to action Tuesday, May 9 against Gardner-Webb at Boshamer Stadium following the exam break.
Honeycutt hit a solo shot to left field off ECU starter Garrett Saylor with one out in the fourth inning. The Pirates tied the game in the bottom half of the frame on a single by Jackson Jenkins-Cowart.
Stokely drove home the game-winning run in the sixth inning, beating a return throw from second base to avoid the double play as Jackson Van De Brake raced home. Van De Brake walked to start the inning, then Honeycutt reached on a dropped fly ball and Mac Horvath loaded the bases with a single to right.
Three UNC pitchers combined on a four-hitter and issued just three free passes. Max Carlson earned his first career save, working three hitless innings with a pair of strikeouts. Dalton Pence (4-1) picked up the win with 2.0 innings pitched after starter Connor Bovair tossed 4.0 innings, allowing one run on three hits with two strikeouts.
"We've lost so many one-run games; we just needed to find a way to win one," UNC head coach Scott Forbes said. "It's how Coach Gaines and I scripted it out; we just didn't know if it would go like that, but because they performed, it went like that.
"I'm so happy for our players because these guys are an unbelievable group."
Carlson retired the final eight men he faced, getting a pair of ninth-inning ground outs to end the game.
"Max Carlson is a big game pitcher, and he's not scared of anybody," Forbes said. "That's the guy you want out there to end the game, and he got it done."
ECU reliever Jake Hunter (3-2) took the loss.
A pitch hit by Casey Cook in the seventh extended his on-base streak to 34 games.
The Tar Heels will return to action Tuesday, May 9 against Gardner-Webb at Boshamer Stadium following the exam break.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Pence, Dalton (4-1)
L: HUNTER, Jake (3-2)
S: Carlson, Max (1)
Batting:
HR: Honeycutt, Vance 1
RBI: Honeycutt, Vance 1 ; Stokely, Hunter 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Van De Brake, Jackson 1 ; Honeycutt, Vance 1
HBP: Cook, Casey 1 ; Wilkerson, Colby 1
Batting:
2B: WILCOXEN, Justin 1
RBI: JENKINS-COWART, J. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: STARLING, Jacob 1
SB: STARLING, Jacob 2
CS: JENKINS-COWART, J. 1 ; NOWAK, Luke 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
RHP
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RHP
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LHP
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1B
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INF
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