Keeping It Heel
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UNC Baseball returns to action in rare form, crushing Campbell in non-conference play

The weekend off seemed to really benefit the UNC baseball program!
ByNick Delahanty|
Jun 8, 2024; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels Jason DeCaro (29) pitches against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the first inning of the DI Baseball Super Regional at Boshamer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Camarati-Imagn Images
Jun 8, 2024; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels Jason DeCaro (29) pitches against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the first inning of the DI Baseball Super Regional at Boshamer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Camarati-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Camarati-Imagn Images

After a relaxing weekend, the UNC baseball program returned to action on Tuesday night, putting together a dominant performance against the Campbell Fighting Camels.

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The weekend off changed things up for the Diamond Heels, giving them an opportunity to refresh a bit before the final stretch of the regular season. Given that they didn't take the field since last week, Scott Forbes decided to start right-hander Jason DeCaro, who hasn't started a midweek game for the Tar Heels since February of 2024, in an effort to get him some work before this weekend's series against NC State.

DeCaro didn't disappoint, allowing just one run over five innings of work.

Overall, the Tar Heels pitching combined to strike out 11 Fighting Camels while allowing no walks. The trio of Ryan Lunch, Camron Seagraves and Cale Bolton combined to finish the final four innings in relief, as Campbell failed to reach base against the Diamond Heels bullpen.

Offensively, the Diamond Heels got on the board in the bottom half of the third inning, scoring two runs that would ultimately end up being the difference. Kane Kepley reached on a fielder's choice, as Alex Madera was able to come around and score on a throwing error. Jackson Van De Brake then clubbed a double to right field, scoring Kepley, to extend the lead to 2-0.

After Campbell scored their lone run of the game in the top half of the fifth inning, the Tar Heels benefitted from some pitching struggles from the Fighting Camels. With two runners on in the bottom half of the fifth inning, Van De Brake was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for star catcher Luke Stevenson.

Stevenson's result was the same as Van De Brake's as an 0-1 fastball rode inside, hitting him above the knee. This would bring home Carter French, putting the Tar Heels back up by a pair.

In the bottom of the sixth, Rom Kellis hit his first homer as a Tar Heel. Up 5-1 in the bottom half of the seventh, the Diamond Heels put the game out of reach, scoring four runs courtesy of a Alex Madera RBI double and a Kellis RBI single.

You could easily make the case that this was Kellis' best outing thus far as a Tar Heel, as he finished the day going 3-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. The bottom of the order got the job done for North Carolina, as the trio of Madera, Kellis and French combined for six hits, six RBIs and three runs scored.

Now, the focus shifts to this weekend's three-game set against the NC State Wolfpack. This will be the final regular season series at home for the Diamond Heels as they look to rack up some more conference victories before postseason play gets underway.

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