Eight-Run First Pushes Baseball Past Charlotte

Tuesday, April 30

Chapel Hill

7 p.m.

North Carolina

34-11

Charlotte

20-25

Charlotte

North Carolina

April 30, 2024 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: UNC Athletics Communications

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Vance Honeycutt hit a grand slam, Colby Wilkerson had three RBIs, and No. 12 North Carolina coasted after an eight-run first inning to defeat Charlotte 13-1 in seven innings at Boshamer Stadium on Tuesday.

Cameron Padgett (1-0) benefited from the 13-hit outburst as the Tar Heels (34-11) improved to 27-2 at home this season. Padgett pitched a career-high five innings of one-run ball and allowed four hits. He struck out three and walked one.

"It definitely helps when you've got guys in the lineup who can put up an eight-spot in the first inning," Padgett said. "With the guys we've got in the lineup, it's very easy to pitch to the other team. I've got guys behind me who make a lot of plays."

Charlotte (20-24) threatened Padgett just once, loading the bases in the third, but he struck out Juan Correa to end the possibility of a big inning. Otherwise, Padgett and Kyle Percival were in complete control, limiting the 49ers to one sixth-inning run and six hits. Percival struck out three in two innings.

"He held his stuff today," UNC head coach Scott Forbes said. "His last outing against Gardner-Webb, he lost a little bit of his control in the third, but I thought he got better today. He wasn't very sharp in the beginning, but he got better each inning."

Six UNC players collected at least one RBI, including Harber, who has driven in a run in eight consecutive games.

Cameron Hansen (1-7) had the second-shortest outing of his career. He got just one out and surrendered six runs and six hits.

Harber hit his 50th career home run in the first, a two-run blast that sailed 370 feet over the right-center field wall. The next four batters singled, with Alex Madera and Gavin Gallaher each driving in a run.

The Tar Heels sent 11 batters to the plate, with Hansen lifted after Gallaher's hit. Ryan Degges hit Luke Stevenson with a 3-2 pitch to load the bases but got Wilkerson to pop up for the second out.

Degges got ahead of Honeycutt 1-2, but Honeycutt crushed his fourth pitch 426 feet to clear the bases and put Carolina ahead 8-0.

Honeycutt is three home runs shy of tying the school's career home run record, 57.

Wilkerson had an RBI single in the third and a two-run double in the fifth to stretch the lead to 11-0. Harber scored on a wild pitch, and Johnny Castagnozzi drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth.

Senior Ben Peterson (3-1) will pitch tomorrow against William & Mary at 6 p.m. at Boshamer Stadium.

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