University of North Carolina Athletics
Sunday, March 10
1 p.m.
North Carolina
14-2, 0
6
vs
5
Pittsburgh
8-4, 0
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 1 |
| North Carolina | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 0 |
Donofrio Delivers A Walk-Off Sweep Against Pitt
March 10, 2024 | Baseball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Anthony Donofrio laced a game-winning single into the right field corner in the 10th inning and scored Casey Cook to lift No. 16 North Carolina to a 6-5 win over ACC Coastal Division foe Pitt on Sunday. The win completed the series sweep and extended the Tar Heels' winning streak to nine games.
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Cook was hit by a 0-1 pitch to lead off the bottom of the 10th. After Parks Harber popped out, Donofrio pulled a 3-2 fastball down the right field line, where it settled into the corner, and Cook raced around the bases with the game-winning run, easily beating the relay throw home.
"It's hard to [sweep]," UNC head coach Scott Forbes said. "I told them they would have to play this game at a high level. I challenged them to play with the confidence of winning the first two games but with the attitude of losing the first two and having to find a way to win.Â
"When you find a way to win that game, it helps you tremendously."
Donofrio finished 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored. Colby Wilkerson and Vance Honeycutt collected two hits, and Alberto Osuna drove in a pair.
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UNC right-hander Aidan Haugh (1-0) retired the first two men he faced in the 10th before issuing a walk, but the Zebulon, N.C. native got Turner Grau to ground out to second harmlessly to end the inning.
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The Tar Heels (14-2, 3-0 ACC) are 13-0 at home this season and have won 17 consecutive games at Boshamer Stadium.Â
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Phil Fox (2-1) pitched the 10th for Pitt (8-4, 0-3 ACC).
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North Carolina led 5-1 at the end of six innings, scoring a run in the second and third innings before plating three runs in the sixth.
With UNC leading 2-1 entering the sixth, Osuna hit a two-run double and Luke Stevenson drove him home with a base hit up the middle to extend the lead.
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The Panthers scored a run in the seventh, then tied it with a three-run eighth inning. Jake Kendro hit a lead-off homer to start the eighth before C.J. Funk and Tyler Bischke laced RBI singles to tie the game.
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Luke Cantwell and Dom Popa had two hits apiece for Pitt, and Bischke drove in two.
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UNC left-handed pitcher Shea Sprague made his second start for the Tar Heels and was dominant, especially during the middle innings. He retired 11 men in a row from the third through sixth innings. Sprague allowed two runs and scattered four hits over 6.0 innings with two strikeouts and a pair of walks.
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The Tar Heels will open a two-game midweek series against Rutgers at Boshamer Stadium on Tuesday, March 12. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
B2 – Donofrio scored on a throwing error to second by the catcher after moving to third on a passed ball (UNC, 1-0).
T3 – Ryan Zuckerman scored on a double into the right field corner by Popa (T, 1-1).
B3 – Wilkerson scored from third on a ground out to shortstop by Cook (UNC, 2-1).
B6 – Osuna doubles to left-center to drive in Harber and Donofrio (UNC, 4-1).
B6 – Stevenson singles up the middle to plate Osuna from second (UNC, 5-1).
T7 – Funk scored on a ground out to third by Bischke (UNC, 5-2).
T8 – Kendro homered to left field (UNC, 5-3).
T8 – Popa scored on a single through the right side by Funk (UNC, 5-4).
T8 – Cantwell scored on a single up the middle by Bischke (UNC, 5-5).
B10 – Cook scored from third base on a single to right by Donofrio (UNC, 6-5).
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NOTABLES:
• The Tar Heels' nine game winning streak is its longest since winning nine in a row during the 2018 season.
• North Carolina improved to 19-11 all-time against Pitt, including a 13-2 mark at Boshamer Stadium.
• The Tar Heels have swept three of the five series played at Boshamer Stadium (2018, 2022, 2024).
• Vance Honeycutt doubled in the second inning, reaching base for the 51st consecutive game.
• Wilkerson collected a pair of hits for the second consecutive game.
• Haugh earned his first win as a Tar Heel.
• Carolina improved to 4-1 in one-run games this season.
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Cook was hit by a 0-1 pitch to lead off the bottom of the 10th. After Parks Harber popped out, Donofrio pulled a 3-2 fastball down the right field line, where it settled into the corner, and Cook raced around the bases with the game-winning run, easily beating the relay throw home.
"It's hard to [sweep]," UNC head coach Scott Forbes said. "I told them they would have to play this game at a high level. I challenged them to play with the confidence of winning the first two games but with the attitude of losing the first two and having to find a way to win.Â
"When you find a way to win that game, it helps you tremendously."
Donofrio finished 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored. Colby Wilkerson and Vance Honeycutt collected two hits, and Alberto Osuna drove in a pair.
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UNC right-hander Aidan Haugh (1-0) retired the first two men he faced in the 10th before issuing a walk, but the Zebulon, N.C. native got Turner Grau to ground out to second harmlessly to end the inning.
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The Tar Heels (14-2, 3-0 ACC) are 13-0 at home this season and have won 17 consecutive games at Boshamer Stadium.Â
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Phil Fox (2-1) pitched the 10th for Pitt (8-4, 0-3 ACC).
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North Carolina led 5-1 at the end of six innings, scoring a run in the second and third innings before plating three runs in the sixth.
With UNC leading 2-1 entering the sixth, Osuna hit a two-run double and Luke Stevenson drove him home with a base hit up the middle to extend the lead.
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The Panthers scored a run in the seventh, then tied it with a three-run eighth inning. Jake Kendro hit a lead-off homer to start the eighth before C.J. Funk and Tyler Bischke laced RBI singles to tie the game.
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Luke Cantwell and Dom Popa had two hits apiece for Pitt, and Bischke drove in two.
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UNC left-handed pitcher Shea Sprague made his second start for the Tar Heels and was dominant, especially during the middle innings. He retired 11 men in a row from the third through sixth innings. Sprague allowed two runs and scattered four hits over 6.0 innings with two strikeouts and a pair of walks.
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The Tar Heels will open a two-game midweek series against Rutgers at Boshamer Stadium on Tuesday, March 12. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
B2 – Donofrio scored on a throwing error to second by the catcher after moving to third on a passed ball (UNC, 1-0).
T3 – Ryan Zuckerman scored on a double into the right field corner by Popa (T, 1-1).
B3 – Wilkerson scored from third on a ground out to shortstop by Cook (UNC, 2-1).
B6 – Osuna doubles to left-center to drive in Harber and Donofrio (UNC, 4-1).
B6 – Stevenson singles up the middle to plate Osuna from second (UNC, 5-1).
T7 – Funk scored on a ground out to third by Bischke (UNC, 5-2).
T8 – Kendro homered to left field (UNC, 5-3).
T8 – Popa scored on a single through the right side by Funk (UNC, 5-4).
T8 – Cantwell scored on a single up the middle by Bischke (UNC, 5-5).
B10 – Cook scored from third base on a single to right by Donofrio (UNC, 6-5).
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NOTABLES:
• The Tar Heels' nine game winning streak is its longest since winning nine in a row during the 2018 season.
• North Carolina improved to 19-11 all-time against Pitt, including a 13-2 mark at Boshamer Stadium.
• The Tar Heels have swept three of the five series played at Boshamer Stadium (2018, 2022, 2024).
• Vance Honeycutt doubled in the second inning, reaching base for the 51st consecutive game.
• Wilkerson collected a pair of hits for the second consecutive game.
• Haugh earned his first win as a Tar Heel.
• Carolina improved to 4-1 in one-run games this season.
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Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
1B/DH
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballTeam Stats
Pitching:
W: Haugh, Aidan (1-0)
L: Phil Fox (2-1)
Batting:
2B: Dom Popa 1
HR: Jake Kendro 1
RBI: Dom Popa 1 ; C.J. Funk 1 ; Tyler Bischke 2 ; Jake Kendro 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dom Popa 1 ; Luke Cantwell 1 ; C.J. Funk 1 ; Ryan Zuckerman 1 ; Jake Kendro 1
Batting:
2B: Honeycutt, Vance 1 ; Donofrio, Anthony 2 ; Osuna, Alberto 1
RBI: Cook, Casey 1 ; Donofrio, Anthony 1 ; Osuna, Alberto 2 ; Stevenson, Luke 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cook, Casey 1 ; Harber, Parks 1 ; Donofrio, Anthony 2 ; Osuna, Alberto 1 ; Wilkerson, Colby 1
HBP: Cook, Casey 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Monday, June 22
Sunday, June 21
Sunday, June 21
Sunday, June 21