Baseball Wins Series Opener Against Georgia Tech

Friday, March 22

Chapel Hill

11:30 a.m.

North Carolina

19-4, 0

Georgia Tech

16-5, 0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Georgia Tech	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	4	9	0
North Carolina	0	0	3	2	0	0	0	0	X	5	8	0

March 22, 2024 | Baseball

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By: UNC Athletics Communications

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. –Gavin Gallaher had three hits, Casey Cook homered, and No. 20 North Carolina earned a 5-4 win over Georgia Tech in game one of a three-game ACC series on Friday, ending the Yellow Jackets' nine-game winning streak.

The Tar Heels (19-4, 5-2 ACC) have won three in a row after losing back-to-back games to open the series at Miami a week ago.

Georgia Tech (16-5, 3-1) scored two runs in the ninth and had the tying run and go-ahead run on base when Dalton Pence got Parker Brosius to pop up to second for the final out. Matthew Ellis drew a bases loaded walk to plate the first run, and Mike Becchetti lifted a sacrifice to drive in the second run.

"I explained to our guys how hard it is to win in this league, and when you get a Friday night win, you enjoy it," UNC head coach Scott Forbes said. "You don't talk about anything you didn't do well; that's my job the next day.

"I don't want to say we held on, but we fought through it and found a way to get a win."

North Carolina has already played eight one-run games, going 6-2.

The Tar Heels rallied from two runs down and plated three runs in the third. Alberto Osuna tied the game with a two-run double down the left field line, and Alex Madera drove him in with a base hit up the middle.

Osuna finished 2-for-4.

Cook connected for his sixth home run in the fourth of Mason Patel (1-2), belting a two-run shot and pushing the Tar Heels to a three-run lead, 5-2.

Patel surrendered five runs on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

Matthew Matthijs (9-1) allowed one hit in four shutout innings of relief, retiring the final 10 men he faced in order after giving up a two-out single in the fifth.

Folger Boaz pitched four innings, giving up two runs, seven hits, and three walks with four strikeouts.

"I thought him staying in and making big pitches, giving up [two runs], and going back out and giving us two more innings was huge for our bullpen," Forbes said. "Matthijs has been phenomenal all year."

Drew Burress homered for Tech in the first, and Carson Kerce doubled in a run in the second. Kerce and Trey Hunger each had two hits.

Game two of the three-series is scheduled for Saturday, March 23, at 2 p.m.

NOTABLE
• The Tar Heels improved to 17-0 at home this season and extended their winning streak at Boshamer Stadium to 21 games.
• Vance Honeycutt had his consecutive games, reaching base streak end at 56.
• Cook posted his 11th multi-RBI game of the season, and Osuna his eighth.
• Gavin Gallaher collected three or more hits for the third time in the last four games. He is 11-for-18 (.611) during those four games.
• Dalton Pence earned his second save of the season.