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UNC Baseball: Tar Heels drop Game 1 to Notre Dame in Chapel Hill

By Blake Cockrum

CHAPEL HILL, NC - FEBRUARY 19: Head coach Mike Fox #30 of the University of North Carolina during a game between High Point and North Carolina at Boshamer Stadium on February 19, 2020 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC - FEBRUARY 19: Head coach Mike Fox #30 of the University of North Carolina during a game between High Point and North Carolina at Boshamer Stadium on February 19, 2020 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Andy Mead/ISI Photos/Getty Images) /
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The UNC baseball team began its three-game weekend series with a loss to Notre Dame in Chapel Hill on Friday night.

Spencer Myers went 2-for-4 with a pair of walks and a run batted in, and Notre Dame beat North Carolina by a final score of 8-5 in Chapel Hill on Friday night.

Third baseman Jack Brannigan had a pair of hits and a walk, and shortstop Niko Kavadas went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs. Despite striking out nine times and leaving 14 runners on base, the Irish had no problem generating their eight runs on 11 hits and eight costly North Carolina walks. Starting pitcher Tommy Sheehan went four innings, giving up two runs on five hits and three walks. Tommy Vail came into the game in relief of Sheehan, and pitched five solid innings of three-hit baseball. He only made a couple of mistakes — a pair of home runs to UNC first baseman Aaron Sabato — but struck out eight Tar Heels and got the victory.

Sabato went 3-for-4 against the Irish, scoring two runs and driving in three RBIs. Sophomore left fielder Angel Zarate had a pair of hits on the day, and three other Tar Heels — Danny Serretti, Joey Lancellotti and Dallas Tessar — each had a hit. Unfortunately for North Carolina, that’s where the offensive production ended. No one else in the UNC lineup got a hit, and the Tar Heels struck out 10 times as a team. They also left eight men on base, and committed two errors.

Lancellotti got the start, and the loss, as he gave up four runs on six hits in five innings. The Tar Heels used seven other pitchers in Game 1 against the Irish, but they couldn’t keep Notre Dame from extending its lead, giving up an additional four runs in the game’s final four innings.

The Irish improved to 8-2 on the season, and 1-0 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. North Carolina fell to 10-5, and 0-1 in league play. They’ll be back on the field at 2:00 p.m. EST on Saturday afternoon for Game 2 of the three-game set.

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