No. 24 UNC baseball wins third straight game after topping Winthrop 7-3

The No. 24 North Carolina baseball team (8-1, 0-0 ACC) completed its midweek sweep by defeating Winthrop (2-6, 0-0 Big South), 7-3, at Boshamer Stadium on Wednesday evening.

What happened?

The Diamond Heels scored in the first inning when junior Danny Serretti’s double to left field allowed sophomore Tomas Frick to score. The Eagles responded with a run of their own in the second inning from Joseph Szvetitz.

North Carolina recorded five hits in the second inning, including a homer to center from sophomore Alberto Osuna that allowed sophomore Johnny Castagnozzi to score. First-year Vance Honeycutt reached base and stole second base shortly after, and RBIs from redshirt junior Angel Zarate and Frick put UNC up 5-1 heading into the third inning.

A North Carolina double play quickly put the Diamond Heels at bat again. Castagnozzi hit a homer to left field, extending the lead to five runs. A Honeycutt triple to the right side in the fourth inning made for an easy Zarate RBI.

The Eagles’ second run of the game came from a homer by Robby Taul. However, three consecutive groundouts limited Winthrop to just one run in the fifth inning. Neither team scored until the seventh inning, when Winthrop’s Ty Hooks hit a single up the middle for an RBI to cut the lead to four runs. UNC’s scoring drought persisted through the eighth inning, and Winthrop had one last chance to make a comeback.

With the Eagles at bat at the top of the ninth inning, C.J. Conrad narrowly escaped to second base on a double to right field. Shortly after, however, left-handed senior pitcher Caden O’Brien struck out Dillon Morton to seal the victory for North Carolina.

Who stood out?

For the first four innings, Zarate, Osuna, Castagnozzi and Frick were among several Diamond Heels who shined in the batter’s box. Osuna and Castagnozzi displayed their power with each player hitting a home run.

The pitching depth was also on wider display today, compared to yesterday’s game against Longwood — eight pitchers held Winthrop to only three runs on 10 hits.

When was it decided?

Despite a fast 5-1 start and being up by as many as five runs, the Diamond Heels’ four-inning scoring drought kept the game within reach for the Eagles. Winthrop was only down by four runs at the top of the ninth inning and had a runner on third base with one out remaining.

The four-run second inning gave North Carolina a lead it would not relinquish. But Winthrop played until the final pitch, when Morton was struck out by O’Brien.

Why does it matter?

It’s the first time in almost two years the team has been tasked with playing back-to-back midweek games, and regardless of who they play, winning both games is no easy feat. 

Moreover, on a relatively young team, it’s a big step up for several players in a more physically demanding college schedule. UNC looks to be in decent shape to take on Coastal Carolina at home with one day to recover from its midweek contests.

After getting off to a slow start against Longwood, North Carolina cruised to a dominant 16-1 win. That scoring trend seemed to persist through the first four innings today, until Winthrop effectively shut down UNC’s sluggers. The Diamond Heels will need to maintain their consistency on offense through all nine innings as they face stronger competition.

When do they play next?

The Diamond Heels return to Boshamer Stadium on Friday to kick off their weekend series against Coastal Carolina. First pitch is at 4 p.m.

@danielhwei

@DTHSports | sports@dailytarheel.com