Saturday, February 22
Durham, N.C.
12:30 PM
North Carolina
5-0
2
vs
0
East Carolina
2-3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
North Carolina
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
2
5
0
East Carolina
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
6
2
Photo by: ANTHONY SORBELLINI
Pitching Depth Powers UNC To 2-0 Win Over ECU
February 22, 2025 | Baseball
DURHAM, N.C. – Jason DeCaro and the North Carolina pitching staff kept East Carolina off the board for a 2-0 win in game one of the annual traveling series between the in-state rivals.
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The Tar Heels (5-0, 0-0) picked up their first shutout of the season on Saturday in the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, improving to 8-4 in neutral site games against the Pirates.
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DeCaro, alongside Ryan Lynch, Matthew Matthijs, and Walker McDuffie, found a way to shut down any offensive momentum ECU built in the game. The Carolina staff only allowed six hits and three walks, but most importantly they left 10 Pirates stranded on the bases.
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Head coach Scott Forbes has talked often about how cool his team is in high pressure moments. They showed that mettle once again in this game. DeCaro pitched his way out of a bases loaded jam. Matthijs entered the game with runners at the corners and got a strikeout when he needed it. McDuffie did the same with the bases loaded in the seventh, finishing the game off to earn his first career save.
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DeCaro, now 2-0, and McDuffie have yet to allow a run in their combined 16.1 innings pitched this season. Batters are averaging just .096 against them and have struck out 18 times (added seven today against ECU). Â
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The offense for the Heels didn't get going until the top of the fifth. Gavin Gallaher led off with a single and Hunter Stokely smacked a double down the right field to start the danger. Kane Kepley and Tyson Bass followed with well placed RBIs to give Carolina a 2-0 lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Â
The Tar Heels (5-0, 0-0) picked up their first shutout of the season on Saturday in the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, improving to 8-4 in neutral site games against the Pirates.
Â
DeCaro, alongside Ryan Lynch, Matthew Matthijs, and Walker McDuffie, found a way to shut down any offensive momentum ECU built in the game. The Carolina staff only allowed six hits and three walks, but most importantly they left 10 Pirates stranded on the bases.
Â
Head coach Scott Forbes has talked often about how cool his team is in high pressure moments. They showed that mettle once again in this game. DeCaro pitched his way out of a bases loaded jam. Matthijs entered the game with runners at the corners and got a strikeout when he needed it. McDuffie did the same with the bases loaded in the seventh, finishing the game off to earn his first career save.
Â
DeCaro, now 2-0, and McDuffie have yet to allow a run in their combined 16.1 innings pitched this season. Batters are averaging just .096 against them and have struck out 18 times (added seven today against ECU). Â
Â
The offense for the Heels didn't get going until the top of the fifth. Gavin Gallaher led off with a single and Hunter Stokely smacked a double down the right field to start the danger. Kane Kepley and Tyson Bass followed with well placed RBIs to give Carolina a 2-0 lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: DeCaro, Jason (2-0)
L: NORBY, Ethan (0-2)
S: McDuffie, Walker (1)
Batting:
2B: Kepley, Kane 1 ; Stokely, Hunter 1
RBI: Kepley, Kane 1 ; Bass, Tyson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gallaher, Gavin 1 ; Stokely, Hunter 1
SB: Kepley, Kane 1
CS: Madera, Alex 1
Batting:
2B: BOWMAN, Kenan 1
Base Running:
SB: WILLIAMS, Dixon 1
HBP: IRBY, Austin 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
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