In Game Two of its final series of the season, the North Carolina baseball team (33-19, 14-15 ACC) defeated the No. 20 Florida State Seminoles (32-21, 15-14 ACC), 10-4, Friday night at Boshamer Stadium.
What happened?
The Seminoles struck first, as two runners were put on base after first-year Jaime Ferrer notched FSU’s second single of the first frame. One batter later, sophomore Brett Roberts lasered a 2-RBI double that trailed down the left-field line.
But the lead was short-lived for the visitors.
In the bottom of the first inning, junior Danny Serretti chopped a two-out single to give the Tar Heels their first base runner of the game. Shortly after, first-year Vance Honeycutt blasted his sixteenth home run of the season and tied the game up at two.
One inning later, sophomore Colby Wilkerson reached second base after an error by the Seminoles’ center fielder. Moments later, the Tar Heels made FSU pay for its error as sophomore Mac Horvath’s sacrifice fly gave North Carolina its first lead of the night, 3-2.
After both teams exchanged inning-ending double plays, UNC looked poised to increase its lead.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Wilkerson’s lead-off walk was followed up by a single by redshirt junior Angel Zarate to plate two Tar Heels. But the Seminoles executed another double play to leave the Tar Heels empty-handed.
However, North Carolina’s defense remained stout, as junior pitcher Brandon Schaeffer struck out Ferrer to end FSU’s attempt to tie the game in the fifth inning. In the bottom half of the same inning, sophomore designated hitter Alberto Osuna doubled the Tar Heels’ lead with a solo moonshot that skyed into forests behind Boshamer Stadium’s left field wall.
