Mountain of errors lead to UNC baseball win over ASU

The North Carolina baseball team may have played its fourth game at Boshamer Stadium Tuesday afternoon, but the Tar Heels have had difficulty getting home this season.

UNC (4-3) had only knocked in 23 runs through 6 games as opposed to 52 in the same span last season.

Maybe feeling their pain, the Appalachian State Mountaineers (0-8) lent a helping hand Tuesday afternoon, walking home three straight runs in the first inning and allowing 10 runs through three innings on eight hits.

“We didn’t play the best we could have, but we capitalized on the mistakes they made,” junior pitcher Luis Paula said.

“It was easy going after that.”

After a walk-off win Sunday, a comfortable 12-1 home victory was relaxing for UNC.

UNC scored on three straight bases-loaded walks in the top of the first and ended the inning with a 6-0 lead.

It was perfect for Paula.

“It’s definitely a big relief when all you have to do is go out there and throw strikes because you know you have the lead,” he said. “You have nothing to worry about after that.”

Appalachian State cycled through three pitchers through the first two innings, but the change went relatively unnoticed. The Tar Heels tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the second.

For a Tar Heel offense that has struggled to find life early in the season, the relief added by Appalachian State’s miscues was very welcome.

Five of UNC’s first nine runs scored because of Mountaineer errors or walks and six of the nine were unearned.

“It definitely took the pressure off of our bats because we’ve really been struggling,” senior designated hitter Tom Zengel said.

But just because the pressure was off didn’t mean UNC could take the game off.

“All of us are so competitive nobody wants to just give away an at-bat or not make a play in the field even if we’re blowing a team out,” Zengel said.

Coach Mike Fox said that the blowout win offered his team a unique opportunity early in the season.

“When the game gets lopsided early is when I try to be the most enthusiastic,” he said. “I want to watch and see who’s going to continue to play hard and those kind of things. It was nice to be able to relax a little bit.”

Three North Carolina relievers saw action after Paula was taken out in the fifth inning. They gave up two hits and two walks while notching eight punch-outs. UNC also made six defensive substitutions in the game, allowing Fox to get a better picture of how his less-experienced players react to in-game situations.

But for Fox, the bottom line was simple. In a game filled with Mountaineer mishaps, his team needed to capitalize.

“It better be seven or eight or nine to nothing,” Fox said. “You don’t get that very often. What’d they walk, five in the first inning? That hardly ever happens in college baseball. So you better be ahead.”

sports@dailytarheel.com