Despite jumping out to a three-run lead, the No. 14 North Carolina baseball team (11-5, 0-2 ACC) fell to the No. 17 Virginia Cavaliers (14-0, 2-0 ACC), 8-4, on Saturday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium.
What happened?
North Carolina rebounded from its shaky start in Friday’s series opener by retiring the Cavaliers after catcher Kyle Teel popped out third base.
In the bottom half of the inning, the Diamond Heels jumped on Virginia starter Brian Edginton. Sophomore center fielder Vance Honeycutt kickstarted the charge with a bunt single. Soon after, junior second baseman Jackson Van De Brake lifted a double into the right-center field gap to plate UNC’s first run.
One batter later, junior catcher Tomas Frick rifled a double to drive in Van De Brake. Then, junior designated hitter Alberto Osuna splashed an RBI single into shallow left field to cap off a three-run frame for the Diamond Heels.
After two scoreless innings, UVA looked to scrape out of its hole. In the top of the fourth inning, Grif O’Ferrall’s walk loaded the bases with two outs. But junior Ethan O’Donnell lined out to junior shortstop Colby Wilkerson to help the Diamond Heels escape the frame unscathed.
Virginia would ramp up the pressure in its next offensive frame. First baseman Ethan Anderson’s single drove home the Cavaliers’ first run of the afternoon. Henry Godbout followed up the act with an RBI of his own to trim UNC’s lead to 3-2.
Following a fourth straight scoreless frame for North Carolina, the Cavaliers looked to seize their deficit. O’Donnell’s solo blast inched over the left-field wall to knot the game up at three runs apiece.
Connor Bovair’s day on the mound came to an end after Casey Sauke lined a single up the middle. Anderson’s 2-RBI double sailed past the outstretched glove left fielder Patrick Alvarez and the Cavaliers took their first lead of the day. A sacrifice fly out later in the inning would stretch UVA’s lead to 6-3.
