UNC Baseball takes two of three from Duke in weekend series

The UNC baseball team (17-13, 11-10, ACC) crushed their Atlantic Coast Conference nemesis Duke (13-15, 6-12 ACC) two out of three games in the weekend series.

Despite the rain moving all games a day back, the Tar Heels swung a hot bat in the last two games of the series to claim each game by a wide margin.

Game 1: Duke 4, UNC 2

UNC was unable to complete the comeback and lost 4-2 in game one on  Saturday.

Duke scored a quick two runs in the first two innings that gave them the early lead.

In the top of the fifth, Will Sandy got the first batter to fly out but allowed a walk, and was pulled for Connor Ollio. The first batter Ollio faced homered to give Duke a 4-0 lead.

UNC threatened with runners in scoring position later in the game, but failed to capitalize on their opportunities.

Justice Thompson led off the bottom of the eighth with a single and eventually scored as Tomas Frick singled to put UNC on the board 4-1.

In the bottom of the ninth Jake Holtzapple singled to start the inning and was substituted for Mikey Madej on the bases who came around to score and make it 4-2, which was the eventual final in game one.

Austin Love, Sandy and Ollio all posted respectable stat lines. Notably Ollio who pitched 4.2 innings, surrendered three hits, one run and punched out six Blue Devils

Game 2: UNC 11, Duke 5

North Carolina exploded for six runs in the bottom of the eighth to propel themselves over Duke 11-5 and even the series Sunday afternoon.

Game two was a constant back and forth as teams traded runs throughout, Duke scored two runs in the top of the second, UNC responded with two in the bottom of the third.

But Duke separated themselves when they scored one run in the top of the fourth, and two in the top of the fifth to make it 5-2.

UNC scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth behind an RBI ground out from Frick and a two-run bomb from Brett Centracchio to even the score 5-5.

With one out in the bottom of the eighth, Dallas Tesser was hit by a pitch,and promptly scored on a double from Roberts.  Danny Serretti smashed a two-run bomb to make it 8-5. UNC added on as Colby Wilkerson doubled to make 9-5 before a throwing error from Duke gave the Tar Heels two more.

With the lead11-5 for UNC, Nik Pry finished out the ninth and gave the Tar Heels the win.

The offense rolled for UNC with 11 runs on 17 hits, including six players with two hits or more. Notably Roberts, Serretti and Centracchio combined for six RBIs.

Game 3: UNC 21, Duke 8

It was an offensive assault in game three for the Tar Heels that started in the bottom of the first. While Duke managed to get a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, UNC scored four behind a Serretti double and a three-run bomb from Frick to make it 4-2.

Duke scored again in the top of the second,  but UNC continued the bombardment in the bottom of the second. Tesser launched a three-run bomb to add onto the lead 7-2, Centracchio hit a sac fly, and Serretti stole home on a pickoff move before Justice Thompson was tagged out. UNC now led 9-3.

The third inning remained scoreless, but Duke scored another three via a ground out and a two-run homer to battle back 9-6 in the next two innings.

The biggest explosion from the UNC offense came in the bottom of the fifth. With a leadoff walk, Centracchio promptly homered to make it 11-6. Tessar singled in one, Serretti doubled to add two more before Thompson launched a three-run bomb. With two outs and seven runs already home, Centracchio homered again, in the same innings, to make it 18-6.

In the bottom of the sixth UNC added three more runs to make it an incredible 21-6 lead.

The Blue Devils managed to score two to make it 21-8 in the top of eighth, but UNC maintained their large lead and won the game, and secure the series W.

Head Coach Scott Forbes said he knew his team had the offensive capability to put up a lot of runs but credited the teams confidence as huge factor to the increased output of runs in the series.

“Even on Sunday when we were down, they just looked like they were more confident, just focusing on having great at-bats, not too concerned about the results,” Coach Forbes said. “I just thought that was as complete of a game offensively we can have for sure.”

A weekend series against ACC opponent Pittsburgh awaits the Tar Heels as they look to continue rolling Friday with the first pitch set at 6 p.m.

For coverage of that series and all things UNC sports, look no further than Keeping It Heel.