UNC Baseball drops important mid-week game to Campbell

The UNC Baseball program had the opportunity to pick up a critical NCAA Tournament resume-building win on Tuesday but could not do so.

The UNC baseball team desperately needs an NCAA tournament resume-building win against a top opponent and on Tuesday had that opportunity when they faced no. 13, in-state opponent Campbell at The Bosh.

North Carolina gave up two early runs to the Camels on a two-run home run in the second inning. The teams traded runs over the next inning with UNC getting one in the bottom of the second and Campbell answering in the top of the third bringing the score to 3-1 Camels.

The Diamond Heels offense came to life in the bottom of the third thanks to stolen bases by Vance Honeycutt and Mac Horvath to get into scoring position and then a single from Hunter Stokely scored both to tie the game. Tomas Frick would then hit a two-run home run and put the Tar Heels up 5-3 through four innings.

The UNC pitching staff held serve through the fifth and sixth innings thanks to some super-man-like defense from Jackson Van De Brake.

The Camels would tie the game back up at five on a two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning. Unfortunately, the ninth inning is where it fell apart for the Tar Heels (on defense and offense).

Matt Poston came in for the Heels in the seventh inning following the Campbell home run and pitched the seventh and eighth and only gave up one hit. However, Scott Forbes left him in for the ninth, and the Camels took advantage.

Campbell led off the inning with a double to left field. Then a bunt single put runners on the corners with nobody out in a tie game. Poston then hit back-to-back Camels to load the bases, walk in a run, and give Campbell the 6-5 lead.

Forbes decided to go to the bullpen and Nik Pry got the Heels out of the bases loaded, nobody out jam without allowing another run thanks to back-to-back strikeouts and a runner being tagged out at home on an attempted suicide squeeze.

The Tar Heels weren’t done and had a chance in the bottom of the ninth. The player who has been the leader in the clubhouse for the past week has been Horvath, and he led off the inning with a bunt single and then stole second with one out in the ninth giving the Tar Heels the tying run in scoring position. Unfortunately, as they have failed to do so many times in the past month, the Diamond Heels couldn’t come up with a hit with runners in scoring position. Frick walked and then Alberto Osuna hit into a double play to end the game.

The UNC baseball program will continue to look for that all-important resume-building, top-25 win, and won’t have to wait long for another opportunity. The Diamond Heels will hit the road tonight to travel to Greenville to face No. 14-ranked, East Carolina. The Tar Heels lost two games to the Pirates, both 6-5, during the season’s second weekend.

First pitch for tonight’s game is at 5:00 PM and can be found on ESPN+. Hopefully, the Diamond Heels can pick up the win for the program and the fans before heading into their final exam break and bye week.

Follow us @KeepingItHeel on Twitter and like our fan page on Facebook for continued coverage of UNC baseball news, updates, and recruiting.