JB Bukauskas carries UNC baseball to 4-1 win over Virginia Tech

On a blustery day at Boshamer Stadium, the wind took a backseat to J.B. Bukauskas.

The sophomore right-hander struck out 13 batters and didn't surrender a hit until the sixth inning in No. 13 North Carolina’s 4-1 victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday evening.

Even though he walked the first batter of the game, Bukauskas was in control from the first pitch, retiring 12 straight batters after the walk.

Virginia Tech starting pitcher Jon Woodcock matched Bukauskas pitch for pitch until things started to unravel for him in the bottom of the fourth inning.

After Tyler Ramirez knocked a single through the left side of the infield to start the inning, Cody Roberts' RBI single later in the inning handed the Tar Heels a 1-0 lead.

North Carolina pushed its lead to 2-0 in the fifth inning, when Brian Miller scored from third base on a sacrifice fly by Logan Warmoth.

The Hokies, meanwhile, still hadn't recorded a hit.

It stayed that way until the top of the sixth inning, when Ryan Tufts hit a 94 mph fastball into center field to break up Bukauskas' no-hitter. But after striking out two batters and allowing a walk, Bukauskas struck out the final batter of the inning to strand runners on first and second base.

UNC added two insurance runs for Bukauskas in the bottom of the seventh inning, when Elijah Sutherland's two-run single pushed the Tar Heels' lead to 4-0. 

Despite losing his no-hit bid, Bukauskas maintained a shutout entering the top of the eighth inning before surrendering a solo home run to Tufts. 

Brett Daniels relieved Bukauskas a batter later, and he induced an inning-ending double play to escape any further damage. 

A.J. Bogucki entered the game with no outs and two runners on base in the ninth inning, and he struck out the final two batters of the game to secure the win for the Tar Heels.

Quotable 

“I’d say there is a little competition, just because it’s Friday (and) Saturday. We go back and forth. (Zac Gallen) throws a gem (Friday), (and) then I take his notes from what he did and try to follow him up.” — Bukauskas on the competition between him and North Carolina starting pitcher Zac Gallen.

Notable

Miller and Ramirez, UNC's No. 1 and No. 3 hitters, combined for four hits and all four of the Tar Heels' run on Saturday. 

Three numbers that matter

16: UNC didn't surrender a run for the first 16 innings of the series. Following Gallen's complete-game shutout on Friday, Bukauskas held the Hokies scoreless for the first seven innings of Saturday's game. 

9: Bukauskas recorded nine straight outs by strikeouts during the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

2: The Hokies' two hits against Bukauskas were both by Tufts. 

What's next?

The Tar Heels will look to sweep the Hokies in the third and final game of their three-game series at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Boshamer Stadium. North Carolina right-handed pitcher Jason Morgan (2-2, 3.72 ERA) is slated to start across from lefty Packy Naughton (2-4, 8.27).

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