UNC baseball sweeps Stony Brook

Mike Zolk started for the first time this baseball season Sunday in No. 1 North Carolina’s weekend series against Stony Brook.

The way the sophomore finished the day was also a first for him.

The Tar Heels won in the bottom of the ninth in Sunday’s nightcap when Zolk sent the ball left of center to bring Cody Stubbs home and give UNC the win 9-8.

“All I wanted to do was hit the ball hard on the ground,” Zolk said. “I figured if it was hard enough, it probably could get through. I’ve never done anything this big before.”

The wins in Saturday’s opener and Sunday’s first game came much easier. The Tar Heels beat Stony Brook 11-2 and 7-1, respectively.

After Sunday’s afternoon’s game, UNC moved to 6-0 this season.

But that game’s last-inning win is the one coach Mike Fox prefers.

“Really, if I probably had to script out the day, that’s how I would’ve done it,” he said. “Not to have to win it in the ninth, but to have to get behind, because we need to find out about this team, and what better way to do that than to get behind, pull ahead and then lose the lead.”

The Seawolves led the game first, scoring a run each in the third and fourth innings, but UNC came alive in the sixth inning.

Freshman Skye Bolt and junior Parks Jordan had RBI before a wild pitch gave Bolt time to run home. Junior Brian Holberton knocked in a double to give North Carolina its first five runs of the game, then Chaz Frank’s RBI made the score 6-2.

The inning was UNC’s third six-run inning of the season.

But Stony Brook had its own six-run inning in the eighth, giving the team a 8-6 lead.

“We should’ve never let a ball over our head in the eighth inning with the bases loaded and a six-run lead. I put that on me,” Fox said. “But sometimes you’ve got to coach yourself a little and know the circumstances.

“I think the best way to learn is games like this.”

The Tar Heels learned that they can fight back to win.

“That was pretty much our mentality when we got back in there in the eighth,” Bolt said. “The goal out there was to continue putting the bat on the ball hard, and luckily, we got that chance.”

Freshman Landon Lassiter singled to left in the eighth, sending Holberton home to get UNC within one run.

North Carolina walked Johnny Caputo, who was the only Seawolf to get on base in the ninth inning.

Bolt doubled right of center before Stubbs doubled one of his own for Bolt to score.

Stubbs advanced to third before Zolk brought him home to show the Tar Heels’ capabilities in a way the weekend’s other wins did not.

“It really just boosts our confidence as a team. It means a ton,” Jordan said. “Getting a win like that under our belts … it’s a huge deal …anytime you fight back.”

Contact the desk editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.