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UNC Baseball: Tar Heels win on Lancellotti’s walk-off home run

By Blake Cockrum

CORAL GABLES, FL - APRIL 3: Head coach Mike Fox of the North Carolina Tar Heels watches the Miami Hurricanes warm up prior to their game on April 3, 2016 at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field in Coral Gables, Florida. Miami defeated North Carolina 7-4. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)
CORAL GABLES, FL - APRIL 3: Head coach Mike Fox of the North Carolina Tar Heels watches the Miami Hurricanes warm up prior to their game on April 3, 2016 at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field in Coral Gables, Florida. Miami defeated North Carolina 7-4. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images) /
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Joey Lancellotti hits walk-off home run, propelling UNC baseball to victory over Middle Tennessee State

Joey Lancellotti pitched five and a third strong innings on Friday night, giving up just two runs and knocking in a pair of his own en route to a 15-3 North Carolina win over Middle Tennessee State in the 2020 season opener. He followed that up with a game-winning walk-off home run on Saturday that improved the Tar Heels to 2-0 on the young season.

Lancellotti had just one hit in four plate appearances on the day, but it was the last one that meant so much to a UNC team poised to sweep its first series of the season. Senior center fielder Dylan Harris had three of the Tar Heels’ six hits on the day. He went 3-for-4 with a run scored and a run batted in. Danny Serretti and Angel Zarate were responsible for the other two North Carolina hits.

Preseason All-American Aaron Sabato had another rough day at the plate, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and a man left on base. Sabato wasn’t alone, though, as Tar Heels not named Dylan Harris combined to go just 3-for-27 at the plate on Saturday afternoon. They struck out six times as a team, and left four men on base.

The North Carolina pitching staff, on the other hand, was incredibly effective against Middle Tennessee State for the second consecutive game. Sophomore left hander Will Sandy pitched seven solid innings of one-run baseball, striking out five and walking just two. Redshirt sophomore Austin Love came in for the game’s final two innings, and didn’t allow a single baserunner. He picked up his first victory of the season on Lancellotti’s walk-off shot to left field.

MTSU starting pitcher Peyton Wigginton had a nice outing for the Blue Raiders, pitching seven and two-thirds innings of one-run ball. He struck out five batters, and didn’t allow a single walk. Junior right hander Zach Keenan relieved Wigginton in the ninth inning, but threw just nine pitches before surrendering the game-winning bomb.

North Carolina and Middle Tennessee State will conclude their three-game series at 1:00 p.m. EST on Sunday afternoon.

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