UNC Baseball: Series recap against NC State
The North Carolina baseball team (13-9, 8-7 ACC) suffered a three-game sweep from the hands of their close ACC rival North Carolina State (8-9, 4-8 ACC).
After an impressive win over East Carolina University, the Diamond Heels’ momentum came to a halt. After climbing to No.24 in the NCAA standings, UNC fell out of the rankings and looks ahead to another test against ECU.
Game 1: NC State 9, UNC 2
The Wolfpack hit a solo home run in the top of the first inning to claim the quick lead 1-0.
While North Carolina managed to get runners in scoring position in the bottom of the first, they did not score.
Soon NC State added five runs in the top of the second inning with a grand slam and a one-out single to extend the lead to 6-0.
In the top of the third, the Wolfpack scored their seventh run to extend the lead 7-0.
The Tar Heels responded in the bottom of the third as sophomore Danny Serretti hit a two-out single to shrink it to 7-1.
NC State soon got the run back as they swelled the lead to 8-1 in the top of the fourth.
The Tar Heels could not shrink the deficit, meanwhile NC State scored again to make it 9-1in the top of the seventh.
First-year Hunter Stokely belted a solo home run for UNC in the bottom of the ninth to make it 9-2, but the Tar Heels could not continue the rally and lost.
Game 2: NC State 6, UNC 1
After a crushing defeat in game one, the Tar Heels fell short in game two.
On Saturday afternoon, NC State struck early with a two-run bomb with one out in the top of the second to make it 2-0 in their favor.
The Wolfpack added another run in the top of the third after a lead off triple and an error gave them a 3-0 advantage.
Junior Angel Zarate hit a solo home run to make it 3-1 in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead for UNC 3-1.
In the top of the seventh, NC State scored again as a pair of singles and an error gave them a 4-1 lead.
The Tar Heels failed to score in the bottom of the seventh inning, but this did not stop NC State as they added two more to make it 6-1 in the top of the eighth.
Rain postponed the rest of game two and Sunday’s game, so both played on Monday afternoon.
In the continuation of game two, North Carolina failed to cut the lead as the score remained 6-1, which was the final.
Game 3: NC State 6, UNC 1
With game two wrapped up, the Tar Heels turned their attention to the final game, but failed to win Monday afternoon.
In the top of the first inning, the Wolfpack scored two via a single and one-out fielder’s choice to lead 2-0.
NC State scored again in the top of the second to push it to 3-0, and a wild pitch followed by a throwing error allowed two runs across for a 5-0 NC State lead.
A lead off double by sophomore Caleb Roberts and an eventual single from first-year Eric Grintz narrowed the deficit for the Tar Heels to 5-1.
NC State tacked on one run with a solo home run to make it 6-1 in the top of the third.
UNC later responded with a solo shot off the bat of Stokely in the bottom of the fifth inning to make it 6-2.
A two-run home run by NC State pushed the lead to 8-2 in the top of the seventh.
But UNC tallied another run in the bottom of the seventh to make it 8-3, which was the eventual final.
Head Coach Scott Forbes said the unfamiliarity of being behind early may have stagnated the Tar Heels offense
“I didn’t think we fought like we were capable of because we were behind,” Forbes said. “And that was disappointing, something hopefully that we can improve on and learn from because we’re going to be behind again.”
But with another game on Tuesday against ECU, Forbes expressed optimism about putting the series behind and moving forward.
“With everything going on with these guys, and COVID-19, and the opportunity to play— you don’t pass it up because you don’t know if it’s coming back. You don’t care how hard the competition is.”
The Tar Heels face off in a rematch against a tough No.11 East Carolina team Tuesday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m.