Baseball Routs Walters State In First Fall Exhibition Game
September 22, 2023 | Baseball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – North Carolina opened its fall exhibition season with a 26-5 win over Walters State Community College in 14 innings. The Tar Heels' pitching staff combined to strike out 22 batters while 14 pitchers threw one inning each. Senior Jake Knapp and freshman Aidan Haugh led Carolina with three strikeouts each.
At the plate, the Tar Heels pounded out 33 hits, with 10 players collecting multiple hits, including five hitters with three or more hits. Senior Hunter Stokely led the way with five hits, including a home run and double.
Senior Alberto Osuna hit two home runs - totaling nearly 900 feet – and finished 3-for-3 with four RBIs and a run scored. Sophomore Carter French also drove home four runs, while Stokely and graduate transfer Alex Madera knocked in three runs apiece. Junior college transfer Ryan Galaska also homered.
Madera, Casey Cook and Reece Holbrook each collected three hits.
"Top to bottom, the offense was impressive," head coach Scott Forbes said. "Everybody who went up there had a good at-bat. From top to bottom, everyone can hit the ball in the gap or over the wall.
"The pitching was phenomenal; a lot of new faces out there. Knapp still set the tone for us, touched 96. He looked like a big-league starter today. Everybody filled up the zone, not many walks. All in all, with that much baseball played, I thought we were pretty good defensively."
UNC hurlers surrendered just eight hits and only issued four walks.
The Tar Heels will host their next exhibition game on Friday, Oct. 20, against Liberty at 6 p.m. Admission is free.
At the plate, the Tar Heels pounded out 33 hits, with 10 players collecting multiple hits, including five hitters with three or more hits. Senior Hunter Stokely led the way with five hits, including a home run and double.
Senior Alberto Osuna hit two home runs - totaling nearly 900 feet – and finished 3-for-3 with four RBIs and a run scored. Sophomore Carter French also drove home four runs, while Stokely and graduate transfer Alex Madera knocked in three runs apiece. Junior college transfer Ryan Galaska also homered.
Madera, Casey Cook and Reece Holbrook each collected three hits.
"Top to bottom, the offense was impressive," head coach Scott Forbes said. "Everybody who went up there had a good at-bat. From top to bottom, everyone can hit the ball in the gap or over the wall.
"The pitching was phenomenal; a lot of new faces out there. Knapp still set the tone for us, touched 96. He looked like a big-league starter today. Everybody filled up the zone, not many walks. All in all, with that much baseball played, I thought we were pretty good defensively."
UNC hurlers surrendered just eight hits and only issued four walks.
The Tar Heels will host their next exhibition game on Friday, Oct. 20, against Liberty at 6 p.m. Admission is free.
Players Mentioned
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