UNC Baseball: Tar Heels lose weekend series to Dallas Baptist University

The UNC baseball team dropped consecutive games to Dallas Baptist over the weekend, as the Tar Heels lose their first series of the 2020 season.

Dominic Hamel struck out 10 batters in seven shutout innings, while allowing just one hit and one walk, and Dallas Baptist beat North Carolina by a final score of 3-0 in Sunday afternoon’s rubber match.

Hamel retired 22 of the 24 Tar Heel batters that he faced, and threw 97 pitches before he was relieved by Ross Carver. Carver pitched just a third of an inning before making way for Burl Carraway, who got his second save in as many days.

Patriots left fielder Austin Bell went 2-for-4 at the plate, while three other Dallas Baptist hitters — David, Jones and Wrobleski — each came away with one hit in four plate appearances. They gathered just five hits compared to 14 strikeouts, but got enough timely hits when they needed to in order to win the game.

North Carolina managed just two hits on the day, getting one from designated hitter Joey Lancellotti, and one from second baseman Mikey Madej. Angel Zarate took the Tar Heels’ only base on balls, as North Carolina mustered just three baserunners in nine innings. Senior center fielder Dylan Harris lost his seven-game hit streak, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

UNC starter Connor Ollio pitched three and a third innings, giving up two runs — both unearned — on three hits. He struck out five batters, and didn’t allow a single walk. Austin Love came in the game in relief of Ollio, and pitched five and two-thirds innings of one-run baseball. He was impressive, to say the least, striking out nine of the 21 hitters he faced.

The Tar Heels lose the series, their first of the season, and fall to 6-2. They’re be back in action on Tuesday afternoon when they take on North Carolina A&T at Boshamer Stadium.

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